Privacy Policy

Effective Date: July 18, 2025

Westcoast Smile Dental (“we”, “our”, or “the Clinic”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information of our patients, website visitors, and individuals interacting with our services. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and protect your personal information in accordance with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) of British Columbia and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) of Canada.

1. Scope and Application

This Privacy Policy applies to all personal information collected by Westcoast Smile Dental in the course of providing dental services, managing our website (https://www.westcoastsmile.com), and conducting related operations.

2. Definitions

Personal Information means information about an identifiable individual, including but not limited to name, contact information, health records, billing details, and any information related to the provision of dental care.

Health Information includes medical and dental history, diagnostic images, treatment plans, prescriptions, and insurance details necessary for dental treatment.

3. Collection of Personal Information

We collect personal information directly from you or from third parties with your consent. Information is collected through:

Patient intake forms
Appointment bookings (online, phone, or in-person)
Dental treatment records
Communication with insurance providers
Our website (via contact forms, cookies, analytics tools)

The personal information we collect includes but is not limited to:

Full name, date of birth, and contact information
Health and dental history
Insurance details
Billing and payment information
Communication records
Website usage data (e.g., IP address, browser type, referral URL)

4. Purpose of Collection

We collect and use personal information for the following purposes:

To provide safe, effective, and customized dental care
To assess your eligibility for dental treatments
To manage appointments, reminders, and follow-ups
To process billing, payments, and insurance claims
To meet legal, regulatory, and professional obligations
To communicate with you about your care and our services
To maintain records as required by the College of Dental Surgeons of BC (CDSBC)
To improve our website and services via analytics and user feedback

5. Consent

We require your knowledge and informed consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information, except where otherwise permitted or required by law. Consent may be provided verbally, in writing, electronically, or implied by your actions.

You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice.

6. Use and Disclosure of Personal Information

Your personal information is used only for the purposes for which it was collected, or for purposes consistent with those. We may disclose your personal information to:

Dental specialists, labs, and healthcare providers involved in your care
Insurance providers and third-party billing services
Regulatory bodies (e.g., CDSBC, Privacy Commissioner)
IT service providers who support our practice management and website systems

All third parties are contractually or ethically obligated to maintain confidentiality and safeguard your information.

We do not sell, rent, or trade personal information for marketing purposes.

7. Retention and Destruction of Personal Information

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes and to comply with legal and professional requirements. This may include:

Adult patient records: minimum 16 years from the date of last service
Child patient records: minimum until the patient is 28 years old

When personal information is no longer required, it is securely destroyed, erased, or anonymized.

8. Accuracy and Access

We take reasonable steps to ensure that personal information is accurate, complete, and up to date. You may request access to your personal records or request corrections by submitting a written request. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable privacy laws.

9. Safeguards

We implement appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, theft, misuse, or disclosure. These include:

Secure practice management systems
Staff training and confidentiality agreements
Access controls and audit trails
Encrypted data transmission for web forms

10. Website Privacy and Cookies

Our website uses cookies and third-party services such as Google Analytics to collect non-identifiable information about user interaction. This data helps us improve website performance and user experience.

You may disable cookies through your browser settings, though this may affect website functionality.

Our website may contain links to third-party sites. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of external sites.

11. Data Breach Response

In the event of a data breach involving personal information, we will take immediate steps to mitigate harm, notify affected individuals (as required by law), and report the breach to the appropriate regulatory authorities.

12. Children’s Privacy

We collect, use, and disclose children’s personal information with the consent of a parent or legal guardian and only for purposes related to dental care.

13. Updates to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal obligations. The updated version will be posted on our website with the new effective date.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact:

Privacy Officer
Westcoast Smile Dental
1-1874 W 1st Ave
Vancouver, BC V6J 1G5
Phone: (604) 737-1023
Email:

This Privacy Policy is compliant with PIPA (BC), PIPEDA (Canada), and guidelines from the College of Dental Surgeons of British Columbia (CDSBC).