Privacy Policy
Last updated: June 26, 2026
Our Commitment To You
Paisley Dental (the “Practice”, “we”, “us”, “our”) considers the privacy of its patients, website visitors and other individuals (“you”, “your”) a top priority. Your privacy is at the core of the way we design and deliver the services and communications we provide to you. We appreciate the trust you place in us when you provide your personal information, and we do not take this lightly.
We do not compromise with your privacy. We design all of our patient interactions and online services with your privacy in mind. We strive to be transparent in the way we process your data. We work hard to keep your information secure, and we continually update our practices to enhance the safety of your personal information.
About This Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy sets out the privacy policies and practices of the Practice with respect to how we collect, use, maintain, retain, transfer and disclose your personal information. It applies to information collected via https://paisleydental.com/ (the “Website”) and through your attendance at or use of our dental services at our Guelph and Brantford locations.
As a dental practice, we are a “health information custodian” as defined under the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (Ontario) (“PHIPA”) and Ontario Regulation 329/04. The personal health information we collect in the course of providing dental care is governed primarily by PHIPA. Non-health personal information collected through our Website is also governed by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) and our obligations as a member of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario (“RCDSO”). In this Privacy Policy, “personal health information” has the meaning given to it in PHIPA and includes identifying information about an individual relating to their physical or mental health, the provision of health care, payments for health care, and related matters.
Privacy Officer
We have designated a Privacy Officer who is responsible for overseeing our compliance with PHIPA, PIPEDA and this Privacy Policy. You may contact our Privacy Officer, Francesco Marascia at any time with questions, concerns or requests at: admin@paisleydental.com. Our Privacy Officer is also responsible for receiving and responding to complaints relating to our privacy practices.
Consent
We collect, use and disclose your personal health information with your consent, except where PHIPA or other applicable law permits or requires us to do so without consent. The form of consent may be express or implied depending on the circumstances. When you present for dental care, we will assume your implied consent to collect, use and disclose your personal health information as necessary to provide you with the care you are seeking, unless you direct otherwise.
Express consent is required for uses and disclosures of your personal health information that go beyond your direct circle of care, including for marketing, research or any purposes not directly related to your treatment. We will seek your express consent for such purposes separately and will not make such uses a condition of receiving care.
You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual constraints and reasonable notice, by contacting our Privacy Officer at admin@paisleydental.com. Please note that withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide you with certain services. Withdrawing consent does not apply retroactively to information already collected, used or disclosed.
Collection of Your Personal Information
We collect personal information, including personal health information, in connection with the provision of dental care and through your use of our Website. The information we collect may include:
Clinical and administrative information:
- Your full name, date of birth, address, telephone number and e-mail address;
- Ontario Health Card number and other government-issued identification;
- Dental and medical history, including medications, allergies and existing conditions relevant to dental treatment;
- Clinical records, x-rays, treatment plans, notes and correspondence;
- Dental insurance information, including insurer name, policy number and group number; and
- Payment and billing information.
Website information:
- Information you submit through online appointment request forms or contact forms;
- Technical information such as your IP address, browser type, device type, pages visited and how you interact with the Website; and
- Information collected through cookies and similar technologies (see the Cookies section below).
We collect only the information that is necessary for the identified purposes. We will inform you of the purpose for collection at or before the time of collection.
Use of Your Personal Information
Treatment purposes (implied consent):
We use your personal health information to provide, coordinate and manage your dental care, including:
- Scheduling and managing appointments;
- Assessing your dental and overall health status relevant to treatment;
- Developing and carrying out treatment plans;
- Prescribing medications or other health interventions;
- Communicating with other members of your circle of care (see Disclosure section); and
- Billing for services and submitting insurance claims.
Administrative and operational purposes:
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations under PHIPA, the RCDSO Standards of Practice, and other applicable law;
- To manage and improve our Website and online presence;
- To conduct quality improvement activities; and
- To respond to inquiries and complaints.
Marketing and communications (express consent required):
We will only use your personal information for marketing or promotional communications where you have provided your express consent. Each marketing communication will include a clear and easy mechanism to withdraw consent. We will not use your personal health information for marketing purposes without your express consent.
Disclosure of Your Personal Information
We disclose your personal health information only as permitted or required by PHIPA and this Privacy Policy. We do not sell your personal information.
Circle of care (implied consent):
We may share your personal health information with other health information custodians and health care providers involved in your care, on the basis of implied consent, to the extent necessary to provide coordinated care. This may include:
- Dental specialists to whom we refer you (such as oral surgeons, periodontists or orthodontists);
- Dental laboratories that fabricate prosthetics, appliances or other devices for your treatment;
- Pharmacies for the purpose of filling prescriptions; and
- Other treating health care providers, including your family physician, where clinically relevant.
Administrative disclosures:
- Our staff and contractors who require access to provide care or administrative support, subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations;
- Dental insurance providers and other payers for billing and claims processing purposes; and
- Third-party service providers (including software and IT providers) who process information on our behalf, subject to contractual privacy protections.
Required or permitted by law:
- The RCDSO or other regulatory bodies, where required by law or in the course of a regulatory proceeding;
- Public health authorities, where required under the Health Protection and Promotion Act or other applicable legislation;
- Law enforcement or courts, pursuant to a warrant, court order or other lawful requirement; and
- Where necessary to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of any person.
We do not disclose your personal health information for any purpose beyond those described above without your express consent, except as permitted or required by law.
Retention of Your Personal Information
We retain patient records in accordance with the RCDSO Standards of Practice and applicable law. This requires us to retain dental records for a minimum of ten (10) years from the date of the last entry in the record, or in the case of a patient who was a minor at the time of treatment, until the later of ten (10) years from the date of last entry or the date the patient turns eighteen (18) years of age.
Records subject to a legal hold, regulatory proceeding or outstanding insurance dispute will be retained until the matter is fully resolved, regardless of the standard retention period.
When records are no longer required to be retained, we will destroy or de-identify them using secure methods that protect against unauthorized access or disclosure.
Protection and Security of Your Personal Information
We implement physical, administrative and technical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal health information we hold. Our security measures include restricted access controls, staff privacy training, secure storage of paper records, and encrypted electronic systems. Despite these measures, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. If you have questions about our security practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at admin@paisleydental.com.
Privacy Breach Notification
In the event of a privacy breach involving personal health information, we will act promptly in accordance with our obligations under PHIPA and Ontario Regulation 329/04. Specifically:
- We will notify the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (“IPC”) at the earliest opportunity if there are reasonable grounds to believe that personal health information in our custody or control has been stolen, lost or accessed by unauthorized persons;
- We will notify affected individuals at the earliest opportunity where it is reasonably possible to do so, and where notification is required or appropriate under PHIPA; and
- We will take steps to contain the breach, investigate its cause, and implement measures to prevent a recurrence.
If you believe your personal health information held by us has been subject to a breach, please contact our Privacy Officer immediately at admin@paisleydental.com.
Your Right to Access and Correct Your Personal Health Information
Under PHIPA, you have the right to request access to your personal health information held by us, and to request correction of information you believe is inaccurate or incomplete. To make such a request, please contact our Privacy Officer in writing at admin@paisleydental.com. We will respond to your request within thirty (30) days, as required by PHIPA. In some circumstances, we may extend this period by an additional thirty (30) days with notice to you.
We may decline a request for access or correction in limited circumstances permitted by PHIPA, and will provide written reasons for any refusal along with information about your right to seek review of our decision by the IPC.
We may charge a fee for access to records. If we intend to charge a fee, we will provide a written estimate in advance and will not charge more than the amount we estimate without your consent.
We may ask you to provide proof of identity before responding to access or correction requests.
Cookies
We aim to provide a secure Website and to improve your experience, including by remembering your preferences. We may use cookies and similar technologies when you access our Website. A cookie is a small text file containing a unique identification number that identifies your browser to our servers each time you visit.
Types of cookies we may use:
- Essential cookies, which are necessary for the Website to function;
- Analytics cookies, which help us understand how visitors use our Website; and
- Marketing cookies, which help us deliver relevant communications where you have provided consent.
You may configure your browser to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being placed on your device. Refusing cookies may affect your ability to use certain features of the Website. Cookies used on our Website do not collect personal health information.
Third-Party Websites
Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those websites and encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any personal information.
Third-Party Analytics
We may use third-party analytics tools, such as Google Analytics, to understand how visitors use our Website. These tools may use cookies to collect information about your visits. This information is used to improve the Website and does not include personal health information. You may opt out of Google Analytics data collection using the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-On.
Cross-Border Data Transfers
Some of our service providers store or process data outside of Canada, including in the United States. When personal information is transferred outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of the receiving jurisdiction, which may provide less protection than Canadian law. We take steps to ensure that any cross-border transfers are made pursuant to contractual arrangements that require the recipient to provide a comparable level of protection for your information. We do not transfer personal health information outside Canada without your express consent, except as permitted by PHIPA.
Online Communications and E-mail
You may voluntarily submit personal information to us through our Website for purposes such as requesting an appointment or submitting a question. We may send appointment reminders and health-related communications by e-mail or other electronic means. Marketing or promotional e-mail communications will only be sent where you have expressly consented, and will include a clear and easy mechanism to unsubscribe at any time.
Amendments to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post the revised policy on the Website with an updated effective date. For material changes that affect how we handle personal health information, we will take additional steps to notify affected individuals as appropriate. Your continued use of the Website or our services following the posting of changes constitutes your acknowledgment of the revised policy.
Complaints
If you have a concern or complaint about our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer first so we have an opportunity to address your concern. We will investigate all complaints and respond in writing within a reasonable time. If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to file a complaint with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC). The IPC can be reached at www.ipc.on.ca or by calling 1-800-387-0073.
Contact Us
For any questions, concerns or requests relating to this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact our Privacy Officer at:
Francesco Marascia
