Privacy Policy

At Desi Dental, your privacy and the protection of your personal data are of utmost importance to us. We are committed to handling your personal information responsibly and in full compliance with applicable Philippines laws.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, how we protect it, and your rights regarding your data.

By using our services, visiting our clinic, booking appointments, or interacting with our website or communication channels, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Privacy Policy.

1. Personal Data We Collect

We collect only the personal data necessary to provide high-quality dental care, manage appointments, ensure patient safety, and comply with legal obligations.

Basic personal data we may collect includes:

Full name
Date of birth
Gender
Contact information (phone number, email address, home/work address)
Identification details (ID/passport number, if required for insurance or legal purposes)
Nationality
Occupation (where relevant to treatment)

Sensitive personal data (health-related and subject to stricter protection):

Medical and dental history
Current health conditions and medications
Allergies
Treatment records, X-rays, photographs of oral cavity, diagnostic results
Biometric data (e.g., dental impressions or facial scans, where used for treatment planning)
Insurance or payment-related health/financial information (if applicable)

We may also collect:

Appointment and visit records
Payment and billing information
Communication preferences and feedback
Technical data from our website (IP address, browser type, cookies — see our Cookie Policy if applicable)

2. How We Collect Your Personal Data

We collect your data:

Directly from you during consultations, registrations, forms, phone/email inquiries, or online booking
From your referring doctor, previous dental providers, or insurance companies (with your consent or as permitted by law)
Automatically through clinic systems, cameras (for security), or our website
From third parties only when necessary and lawful (e.g., health insurance verification)

3. Purposes of Processing Your Personal Data

We process your personal data for the following specific purposes:

To provide, plan, and deliver dental treatments and oral health services
To manage appointments, reminders, follow-ups, and emergency communications
To maintain accurate medical/dental records as required by Philippines healthcare regulations
To process payments, issue invoices, and handle insurance claims (where authorized)
To ensure your safety (e.g., checking allergies before procedures)
To improve our services, conduct internal quality audits, and staff training (anonymized where possible)
To comply with legal obligations (e.g., reporting to health authorities, retaining records for statutory periods)
To send important service updates, recall notices, or aftercare instructions (you can opt out of non-essential communications)
For legitimate interests such as clinic security, fraud prevention, and defending legal claims

We will always inform you of additional purposes at the time of collection and obtain your explicit consent where required, especially for sensitive personal data.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We rely on the following legal bases:

Performance of a contract — to provide you with requested dental services
Vital interests — to protect your life or health in emergencies
Legal obligations — compliance with healthcare, taxation, and data retention laws
Explicit consent — required for most processing of sensitive personal data (health records, marketing communications, sharing with non-essential third parties)
Legitimate interests — where balanced against your rights (e.g., basic clinic operations)

For sensitive personal data (health information), we obtain your explicit, specific, informed, and voluntary consent unless an exemption applies (e.g., emergency treatment or legal requirement).

5. Sharing Your Personal Data

We share your personal data only when necessary and under strict confidentiality:

With our dentists, dental assistants, and clinic staff who need it to provide care
With laboratories, imaging centers, or suppliers involved in your treatment
With your health insurance provider (only with your authorization)
With trusted IT/service providers under strict data processing agreements
To comply with legal requests from competent authorities
In anonymized/aggregated form for research, statistics, or quality improvement

We do not sell your personal data. Any cross-border transfer (e.g., cloud storage abroad) will comply with PDPL requirements, including impact assessments and appropriate safeguards.

6. Data Security

We implement technical, organizational, and physical measures to protect your data against unauthorized access, loss, alteration, or disclosure, including:

Access controls and role-based permissions
Encryption for sensitive data
Regular security assessments
Staff training on data protection

In case of a data breach that may affect your rights, we will notify you and the competent authority as required by law.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal data only for as long as necessary:

Active patient records: at least 10 years after last visit (or longer if required by healthcare laws)
Inactive records: retained securely until legal retention period expires
Marketing/communication data: until you withdraw consent or object

After the retention period, data is securely deleted or anonymized.

8. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under Philippines law, you have the following rights (subject to verification and legal exceptions):

Access your personal data
Request correction of inaccurate/incomplete data
Request deletion (in certain circumstances)
Withdraw consent (where processing is based on consent)
Restrict processing
Object to processing based on legitimate interests
Request data portability (where technically feasible)
Lodge a complaint with the competent authority

To exercise these rights, contact us using the details below. We will respond within the statutory timeframe (generally 30 days, extendable in complex cases).

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy to reflect changes in law, technology, or our practices. The updated version will be posted here with a revised “Last updated” date. We encourage you to review it periodically.

Thank you for trusting Desi Dental with your oral health and personal information. We are dedicated to protecting your privacy while delivering the best possible dental care.