Privacy Policy

Last updated: 8 March 2026

Compass Dental Care (ABN to be confirmed) is committed to protecting the privacy of your personal and health information. This policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose and store your information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs).

1. Information We Collect

We collect personal and health information that is reasonably necessary to provide you with dental care. This includes:

Your name, date of birth, address and contact details
Emergency contact information
Medical and dental history
Health insurance and Medicare details
Clinical notes, x-rays, photographs and treatment records
Payment and billing information
Referral information from other health practitioners

2. How We Use Your Information

Your information is used to:

Provide you with dental treatment and ongoing care
Manage your appointments and account
Communicate with you about your dental care
Process health insurance claims and Medicare rebates
Refer you to specialists or other health professionals when required
Meet our legal and regulatory obligations

3. Disclosure of Your Information

We may disclose your personal and health information to:

Other healthcare professionals involved in your care (specialists, laboratories, hospitals)
Your nominated emergency contact
Health insurance providers for the purpose of processing claims
Government agencies as required by law (e.g. mandatory reporting obligations)

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

4. Use of AI in Our Practice

Compass Dental Care uses artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist with clinical note-taking during consultations. We believe in being transparent about how this technology is used.

What happens: During your consultation, an audio recording is made and processed by AI software to generate a transcript and clinical summary. Your dentist reviews and approves all AI-generated notes before they are saved to your dental record.

Local processing: All audio recordings and transcriptions are processed entirely on our own on-site hardware using locally hosted AI models. Your data is never uploaded to external cloud services or third-party servers. Your information stays within our practice at all times.

Data retention: Audio recordings are automatically deleted once your clinical notes have been finalised. Only the approved written clinical notes are retained as part of your dental record.

Opting out: You may opt out of AI-assisted note-taking at any time by informing your dentist or our reception team before or during your appointment. Your dentist will take notes manually instead. Opting out will not affect the quality of your dental care in any way.

5. Data Storage and Security

Your records are stored securely in electronic and/or paper form. We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, interference, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These measures include:

Secure, password-protected practice management software
Restricted staff access based on role requirements
Encrypted data transmission where applicable
Secure physical storage of paper records

We use cloud-based practice management software that complies with Australian privacy legislation. Data may be stored on servers located offshore, but all providers are contractually bound to comply with Australian privacy requirements.

6. Retention of Records

We retain your dental records in accordance with the requirements of the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law and relevant Northern Territory legislation. For adult patients, records are retained for a minimum of 7 years from the date of last treatment. For patients treated as children, records are retained until the patient turns 25 years of age.

7. Access and Correction

You have the right to:

Request access to the personal and health information we hold about you
Request correction of any information that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date
Request a copy of your dental records

To make a request, please contact our reception team. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe, usually within 30 days. In some circumstances, we may charge a reasonable fee for providing access to your records.

8. Website and Online Forms

When you use our website or submit an online form (such as the patient registration form, contact form or records transfer request), the information you provide is transmitted securely and used only for the stated purpose. We do not use tracking cookies for advertising. We may use basic analytics to understand how our website is used.

9. Complaints

If you believe we have breached your privacy or mishandled your personal information, please contact us to discuss your concerns. We will investigate and respond to your complaint within 30 days.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) at www.oaic.gov.au or by calling 1300 363 992.