Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

1.1. This policy explains how Vivaldi Orthodontics Pty Ltd (ABN 41 653 278 374), trading as Vivaldi Smile Artisans (the “Practice“, “we“, “us“, “our“), collects, uses, discloses and protects your personal information.

1.2. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and, in relation to health information, the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW) (HRIPA).

1.3. This policy applies to our website (https://vivaldismiles.com.au), our online booking and chatbot, our phone and messaging communications, and our practice. It should be read together with our [Terms and Conditions].

2. The information we collect

2.1. Personal information we may collect includes your name, date of birth, contact details (phone, email, address), and details about how you interact with us.

2.2. Health / sensitive information. As a dental practice, we collect health information, which is “sensitive information” under the Privacy Act and is protected under HRIPA. This may include your dental and medical history, clinical records, images, x‑rays and photographs, treatment plans, and information about care provided by us or other practitioners.

2.3. Booking and enquiry information. When you book or enquire online, via our chatbot, our web forms or by phone, we collect the details you provide (such as name, contact details, reason for visit and any photos you upload for an assessment).

2.4. Payment information. Payments are processed by our third‑party payment provider, [Stripe]. We do not store your full card details; we receive limited confirmation and transaction information.

2.5. Website and technical information. When you use our website we automatically collect technical data such as your IP address, device and browser type, pages viewed and interactions, and identifiers from cookies and similar technologies (see Section 7).

3. How we collect information

3.1. We collect information directly from you (in person, by phone, email, SMS, our website, chatbot, web forms and online booking).

3.2. We may collect information from third parties where relevant to your care or where you would reasonably expect us to, such as referring practitioners, specialists, dental laboratories, your health fund, or a parent/guardian or representative.

3.3. Where it is reasonable and practicable, we will collect health information from you directly and with your consent.

4. Why we collect, use and disclose information

4.1. We use your information to:

• provide dental and orthodontic care and assessments (including preliminary “Free Smile Assessments”);
• manage appointments and send confirmations, reminders and follow‑ups;
• process payments and manage billing;
• operate, maintain and improve our practice and website;
• respond to your enquiries and communicate with you; and
• where you have consented or it is otherwise permitted, send you marketing and provide measurement and advertising as described in Section 7.

4.2. Consent for health information. We collect, use and disclose health information for the purpose of providing you with dental care and directly related purposes, or otherwise with your consent or as permitted or required by law.

5. Who we disclose information to

5.1. We may disclose your information to:

• practitioners and providers involved in your care (e.g. specialists, dental laboratories, other treating practitioners);
• our service providers who help us run the practice and website under confidentiality obligations — for example our practice‑management system ([Dentally]), IT, hosting and data providers, our payment processor ([Stripe]), and our communications providers (SMS/email);
• advertising and analytics platforms for measurement and marketing, as described in Section 7 (limited, and with identifiers hashed);
• your health fund or another payer, where relevant to payment; and
• regulators, law enforcement or others where required or authorised by law.

5.2. We do not sell your personal information.

6. Overseas disclosure (APP 8)

6.1. Some of our service providers and platforms are located, or store data, outside Australia (including in the United States). These may include our website hosting, analytics and advertising platforms (such as Google and Meta), our payment processor ([Stripe]) and certain communications and IT providers.

6.2. Where we disclose personal information to overseas recipients, we take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled consistently with the Australian Privacy Principles. By providing your information and, where relevant, consenting, you acknowledge that these overseas disclosures occur.

7. Cookies, analytics and advertising

7.1. Cookies. Our website uses cookies and similar technologies (small files stored on your device) to make the site work, remember your preferences, understand how the site is used, and measure and improve our marketing. Some are essential; others are analytics or advertising cookies.

7.2. Analytics. We use analytics tools such as Google Analytics to understand website usage in aggregate.

7.3. Advertising and conversion measurement. We use advertising tools including the Meta (Facebook) Pixel and Google Ads. To measure how well our advertising works, we and our providers may share limited event information (such as that a booking or enquiry occurred, and the page involved) with Meta and Google, both from your browser and directly from our servers (for example via Meta’s Conversions API and Google’s measurement tools).

7.4. How your identifiers are protected. Where this information includes identifiers such as your email address or phone number, they are hashed (irreversibly encoded) before being shared, and are used to match conversions and to build advertising audiences. We do not share details of your treatment, diagnosis or health conditions with these advertising platforms.

7.5. Your choices. You can control cookies through your browser settings and, where offered, our cookie banner. You can opt out of interest‑based advertising through the platforms’ own settings (for example, your Google and Meta ad preferences). Disabling some cookies may affect website functionality.

8. Direct marketing (APP 7)

8.1. We may send you marketing about our services where you have consented or where otherwise permitted by law. We will not use your sensitive/health information for marketing without your consent.

8.2. You can opt out of marketing at any time — use the unsubscribe link in an email, reply STOP to an SMS, or contact us using the details in Section 12. Opting out of marketing will not affect service messages about your appointments or care.

9. Data security and retention

9.1. We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including through access controls, secure storage and staff obligations.

9.2. We retain health records for the period required by law. As a NSW health provider, we generally retain adult health records for at least 7 years from last contact, and records for a person under 18 until they turn 25, unless a longer period is required. We securely destroy or de‑identify information when it is no longer needed and retention is no longer required. [Confirm retention periods with your solicitor.]

10. Access and correction (APP 12 and 13)

10.1. You may request access to, or correction of, the personal and health information we hold about you by contacting our Privacy Officer (Section 12). We may ask you to verify your identity.

10.2. We will respond within a reasonable period. In limited circumstances we may decline access or correction as permitted by law, in which case we will explain why and how you can seek review.

10.3. We may charge a reasonable, cost‑based fee for providing access (for example, copying and postage); we will tell you about any fee in advance.

11. Complaints

11.1. If you have a privacy concern or believe we have mishandled your information, please contact our Privacy Officer (Section 12) so we can try to resolve it.

11.2. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may complain to:

• the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) — oaic.gov.au, 1300 363 992; and/or
• for health information in NSW, the Information and Privacy Commission NSW (IPC) — ipc.nsw.gov.au, 1800 472 679.

11.3. We will not disadvantage you for making a complaint.

12. Contact us

• Privacy Officer, Vivaldi Smile Artisans
• Operated by: Vivaldi Orthodontics Pty Ltd (ABN 41 653 278 374)
• Address: Shop 102, 161 Clarence St, Sydney NSW 2000
• Phone: (02) 8252 7677
• Email: info@vivaldismiles.com.au