Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Smile Dentist (“we”, “us”, “our”) is the data controller for your personal data. We are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) and operate from 20 Old Brompton Road, South Kensington, London, SW7 3DL.

If you have any questions about this policy or your personal data, please contact us at info@smiledentist.co.uk or call 020 7183 2362.

2. What Data We Collect

We may collect and process the following personal data:

• Identity Data: Name, date of birth, gender.
• Contact Data: Email address, telephone number, postal address.
• Health Data: Medical and dental history, treatment records, clinical notes, x-rays, photographs, and any information relevant to your dental care.
• Financial Data: Payment details (processed securely via our payment provider), insurance information.
• Booking Data: Appointment history, preferences, and correspondence.
• Technical Data: IP address, browser type, and usage data when you visit our website.

3. How We Use Your Data

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

• Providing dental care: To diagnose, treat, and manage your dental health (legal basis: performance of a contract and vital interests).
• Appointment management: To book, confirm, and remind you of appointments (legal basis: performance of a contract).
• Regulatory compliance: To maintain records as required by the General Dental Council (GDC), Care Quality Commission (CQC), and NHS regulations (legal basis: legal obligation).
• Communication: To respond to your enquiries and provide information about our services (legal basis: legitimate interest or consent).
• Payment processing: To process payments for treatments and manage your account (legal basis: performance of a contract).

4. Special Category Data (Health Data)

As a dental practice, we process health data which is classified as “special category data” under UK GDPR. We process this data on the basis that it is necessary for the provision of healthcare (Article 9(2)(h) UK GDPR) and for reasons of public health (Article 9(2)(i)).

5. Data Sharing

We may share your data with:

• Dental laboratories (for the creation of dental appliances such as crowns and dentures).
• Specialist referral centres and hospitals (when specialist treatment is required).
• NHS bodies and the CQC (as required by law).
• Your insurance provider (with your consent, for claims purposes).
• IT service providers who help us manage our systems (under strict data processing agreements).

We will never sell your personal data to third parties.

6. Data Retention

We retain adult patient records for a minimum of 10 years after the last treatment (or 10 years after the patient’s 25th birthday for children), in line with NHS and GDC record-keeping guidelines. Financial records are kept for 7 years as required by HMRC.

7. Your Rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data (Subject Access Request).
• Rectify inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Erase your data (subject to legal retention requirements).
• Restrict or object to processing in certain circumstances.
• Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent at any time where consent is the legal basis for processing.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@smiledentist.co.uk. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

8. Cookies

Our website uses essential cookies to ensure it functions correctly. We may also use analytics cookies to understand how visitors interact with our site. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. For more information, please contact us.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.