Privacy Policy

Rochampton Dental Centre

T/A 

A2Z Dental
ABN: 86159075242

Address: 36 Macaree Street, Berserker, Rockhampton Queensland, 4701, Australia

Phone: 0749237350
Email: reception@a2zdental.com.au
Website: https://a2zdental.com.au

Last Updated: March 2026

1. Our Commitment to Your Privacy

A2Z Dental (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal information. We comply with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in Schedule 1 of that Act, and all applicable health information privacy legislation, including the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) where relevant.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal and sensitive (health) information. It also describes your rights and how to contact us if you have a privacy concern or complaint.

2. What Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of personal information:

• Identity information: name, date of birth, gender
• Contact information: address, phone number, email address
• Health information: medical and dental history, treatment records, X-rays, clinical notes, medications, allergies, and health fund details
• Financial information: payment details, Medicare/DVA/health fund information (note: we do not store full credit card details)
• Government identifiers: Medicare number, DVA number (used only for billing purposes, as permitted by the APPs)
• Communication records: records of communications with us including via phone, email, SMS, website contact forms, and AI-powered chat
• Technical data: IP address, browser type, device information, and website usage data collected via cookies and analytics tools

3. How We Collect Your Information

We collect personal information in a number of ways, including:

• Directly from you when you complete patient registration or intake forms (paper or digital)
• Through our website contact forms and online booking systems
• Via our AI-powered chatbot and virtual assistant (see Section 9)
• Through telephone, email, and SMS communications
• From third parties such as referring health practitioners, specialists, hospitals, health funds, Medicare, or DVA, with your consent or as otherwise permitted by law
• Via cookies, web beacons, and analytics tools when you visit our website (see Section 10)
• From our marketing automation and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms

We will only collect information that is necessary for one or more of our functions or activities. Where it is reasonable and practicable, we collect information directly from you.

4. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

We collect, hold, and use your personal information for the following primary purposes:

• Providing dental and oral health care and related services to you
• Managing appointments, recalls, and follow-up care
• Billing and processing health fund, Medicare, and DVA claims
• Communicating with you about your care and appointments
• Referring you to other health professionals as required
• Complying with our legal and regulatory obligations (including mandatory reporting requirements)
• Practice administration, quality improvement, and staff training
• With your consent, sending you health information, practice news, promotions, or appointment reminders via email or SMS

We will not use or disclose your personal information for any other purpose unless you have consented, or where required or permitted by law.

5. Sensitive Information (Health Information)

Health information is treated as sensitive information under the Privacy Act 1988 and attracts a higher level of protection. We will only collect, use, or disclose your health information:

• For the primary purpose for which it was collected (your dental care)
• For a directly related secondary purpose that you would reasonably expect
• With your express consent
• Where required or authorised by law (e.g., mandatory reporting, court orders, public health obligations)

6. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your personal information to:

• Treating health professionals and specialists involved in your care
• Hospitals and other healthcare facilities
• Health funds, Medicare, and DVA for billing purposes
• Pathology, radiology, and dental laboratory services
• Our contracted service providers (e.g., IT support, practice management software providers, cloud storage providers, marketing automation platforms) who are required to handle information in accordance with the APPs
• Regulatory bodies, law enforcement agencies, or courts, where required by law
• In an emergency, to persons responsible for your care

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for marketing purposes.

Where we engage third-party service providers that process personal information on our behalf, we take reasonable steps to ensure those providers have appropriate privacy and security safeguards in place consistent with the APPs.

7. Overseas Disclosure

Some of our service providers (including cloud platforms, AI systems, and marketing automation tools) may store or process data on servers located outside Australia. Where we disclose personal information to overseas recipients, we take reasonable steps to ensure those recipients handle your information in a manner consistent with the APPs (APP 8). By using our services and this website, you acknowledge that your information may be transferred to overseas service providers.

8. AI-Powered Chatbot and Virtual Assistant

Our website uses an AI-powered chatbot and virtual assistant to assist patients and prospective patients with enquiries, appointment bookings, and general information about our services.

What information the chatbot collects:

• Any personal information you voluntarily provide during the conversation (e.g., name, contact details, appointment preferences)
• The content of your conversation with the chatbot
• Technical data such as session identifiers and timestamps

How we use chatbot data:

• To respond to your enquiry or facilitate an appointment booking
• To improve the chatbot’s performance and accuracy
• To follow up with you regarding your enquiry (where you have provided contact details)

AI system transparency:

• Our chatbot is powered by third-party AI technology. Information shared in the chat may be processed by the AI platform provider. We take reasonable steps to ensure these providers handle your data in accordance with the APPs and applicable privacy laws.
• The chatbot is designed to assist with general queries only and does not provide clinical, diagnostic, or medical advice. Any health concerns should be discussed with one of our qualified dental practitioners.
• Conversations may be reviewed by our staff to ensure quality of service and compliance.
• You may opt out of using the chatbot at any time and contact us directly by phone or email instead.

9. Website Cookies and Analytics

Our website uses cookies, web beacons, and similar tracking technologies to:

• Improve website performance and user experience
• Analyse website traffic and usage patterns (via tools such as Google Analytics)
• Support marketing and retargeting activities (where you have consented)

You may disable cookies through your browser settings. Please note that disabling cookies may affect the functionality of our website. For more information about managing cookies, visit www.oaic.gov.au.

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymised statistical information about website visitors. Google’s privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

10. Marketing Communications

With your consent, we may send you promotional communications about our services, special offers, or practice news via email or SMS. You may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe from marketing communications at any time by:

• Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in any marketing email
• Replying “STOP” to any marketing SMS
• Contacting us directly at info@a2zdental.com.au

We comply with the Spam Act 2003 (Cth) and the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 (Cth).

11. Data Quality and Accuracy

We take reasonable steps to ensure that the personal information we hold is accurate, up-to-date, complete, and relevant. Please notify us if your personal details change so we can update our records.

12. Data Security

We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure. Our security measures include:

• Secure, encrypted storage of electronic health records
• Password-protected systems with role-based access controls
• Physical security measures for paper-based records
• Staff training on privacy and confidentiality obligations
• Regular security reviews and system updates
• Use of SSL/TLS encryption on our website

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm, we will comply with the Notifiable Data Breaches (NDB) scheme under Part IIIC of the Privacy Act 1988, which may include notifying affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

13. Retention and Destruction of Records

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, and as required by applicable law. In Queensland, dental records must generally be retained for a minimum of seven (7) years from the date of last entry (or until the patient turns 25 years of age if they were a minor at the time of treatment). When information is no longer required, we securely destroy or de-identify it in accordance with the APPs.

14. Accessing and Correcting Your Information (APP 12 & APP 13)

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or misleading. To make such a request:

• Contact us in writing at info@a2zdental.com.au or at our practice address
• We will respond to your request within a reasonable time (generally within 30 days)
• In some circumstances, we may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to records
• We may decline access in limited circumstances permitted by the APPs (e.g., where access would pose a serious threat to the life, health, or safety of any individual)

15. Privacy Complaints (APP 1)

If you believe we have breached the APPs or mishandled your personal information, you may lodge a complaint with us:

• Email: reception@a2zdental.com.au
• Post: Privacy Officer, A2Z Dental, 36 Macaree Street, Berserker, Rockhampton, Queensland, 4701, Australia

We will acknowledge your complaint within 5 business days and aim to resolve it within 30 days. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC):

• Website: www.oaic.gov.au
• Phone: 1300 363 992
• Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001

16. Children’s Privacy

When we collect personal information about a child under the age of 18, we will generally seek consent from a parent or legal guardian, except in circumstances where the child is considered mature enough to provide their own consent under applicable law.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, or legal obligations. The current version will always be available on our website. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

18. Contact Us

For any privacy-related queries, requests, or complaints, please contact:

Privacy Officer – A2Z Dental
36 Macaree Street, Berserker, Rockhampton Queensland, 4701, Australia 

T: 0749237350

E:reception@a2zdental.com.au

This Privacy Policy is effective from March 2026 and supersedes all previous versions.