Your privacy
Privacy Policy
Your health information is personal, and we treat it that way. This page explains, in plain English, what we collect, why we need it, who we share it with and how you can see or correct it.
Who we are
Brisbane Sedation Dentistry (ABN 25 702 591 464) is a dental practice led by Dr Niels Kirsten. Consulting and Operating at Dormir Group Surgical Centre, Suites 201-203, Level 2, 621 Gympie Road, Chermside QLD 4032.
When this policy says "we", "us" or "our", it means Brisbane Sedation Dentistry. We follow the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles, which set the rules for how health services handle personal and health information.
Your anaesthetic and day surgery care is provided by the Dormir Group, a separate organisation with its own privacy obligations. We share what they need to look after you safely, as explained in section 5.
What we collect
We only ask for what we need to care for you, arrange your treatment and handle payment. This usually includes:
About you
Your name, date of birth, address, phone number, email and an emergency contact.
Your health
Your medical and dental history, medications, allergies, x-rays and scans, clinical photos, treatment notes and any referral letters.
Billing and cover
Your Medicare number, health fund details, and payment plan or super release details if you choose to use them.
Getting in touch
What you tell us in enquiry forms, emails, phone calls and our website chat.
Health information is "sensitive information" under privacy law, so we only collect it with your consent, or where the law allows it.
Can I stay anonymous?
Yes, when you're just asking a question. You don't have to give your name to ask about sedation, costs or how the day works. To treat you, though, we do need to know who you are.
How we collect it
Most of the time we collect information directly from you: at your consultation, on your patient forms, over the phone, by email, or through the forms and chat on our website.
Sometimes it comes from other people, such as:
- your dentist or GP, when they refer you to us
- other health professionals involved in your care, such as a radiology clinic
- a parent, guardian or carer, when the patient is a child or needs support
- your health fund or Medicare, when we check your cover or make a claim
If we receive information about you that we didn't ask for and don't need, we'll destroy or de-identify it where the law allows.
Why we use it
We use your information to:
- assess you, plan your treatment and give you safe care
- arrange your sedation or anaesthetic and your treatment day
- keep accurate clinical records
- send you appointment reminders, quotes and aftercare information
- process payments, Medicare rebates and health fund claims
- send a treatment report to the dentist or GP who referred you
- meet our legal, professional and insurance obligations
- check and improve the quality and safety of our care
We will never sell your information. If we'd like to send you news or offers, we'll only do so with your consent, and every message will include an easy way to unsubscribe.
Our website and chat
Forms
When you send an enquiry through our website, we receive the details you enter so we can reply. Please don't include detailed health information in a general enquiry. We'll ask for that in a secure way when it's needed.
Referrals from dentists and GPs
Referrals sent through our online referral form are encrypted while they travel and are stored securely with a health-grade form provider, rather than being sent to an ordinary inbox.
Website chat
Our website chat assistant answers common questions at any time of day. What you type is saved so our team can follow up with you. It can't see your patient records.
Cookies, analytics and advertising
Like most websites, we use cookies and similar tools, such as Google Analytics, Google Ads and Meta (Facebook and Instagram), to understand how people use our site and to show our ads to people who may find them helpful. These tools collect information such as pages visited, the device you use and roughly where you are. They don't receive your health records or what you write in our forms.
You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, and change your ad preferences in your Google and Meta account settings. The site will still work if you do.
Information stored overseas
We keep your clinical records in Australia wherever we can. Some of the everyday tools we use, such as email, website analytics and advertising platforms, are run by companies that may store information overseas, including in the United States. When we use providers like these, we take reasonable steps to make sure they protect your information to a standard similar to Australian privacy law.
Keeping it safe
We take reasonable steps to protect your information from misuse, loss and unauthorised access. These include password-protected and access-controlled systems, encrypted connections, secure storage of paper records, and only letting staff see what they need for their role.
How long we keep records
We keep dental records for as long as the law and our professional guidelines require. For adults, that's generally at least 7 years after your last visit. For children, it's generally until they turn 25. After that, we destroy or de-identify the records securely.
Seeing or correcting your records
You can ask to see the information we hold about you, or ask for a copy. Just contact us using the details below. We'll check your identity first, then respond within 30 days.
Asking is free. If you want copies, such as x-rays or scans, we may charge a reasonable fee to cover the cost, and we'll tell you the amount first.
In rare cases the law allows us to refuse access, for example if giving it would pose a serious threat to someone's health or safety. If that happens, we'll explain why in writing.
If you think something we hold is wrong, out of date or incomplete, tell us and we'll correct it. If we don't agree a change is needed, we'll explain why, and you can ask us to add a note to your record with your view.
If something goes wrong
If your information is lost or accessed without permission, and it's likely to cause you serious harm, we'll let you know as soon as we can and tell you what to do. We'll also report it to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, as the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme requires.
Making a complaint
If you're unhappy with how we've handled your information, please talk to us first. Contact our Privacy Officer using the details below. We'll acknowledge your complaint promptly and aim to resolve it within 30 days.
If you're not satisfied with our response, you can contact:
- The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC): oaic.gov.au or 1300 363 992
- The Office of the Health Ombudsman (Queensland), for complaints about a health service: oho.qld.gov.au or 133 OHO (133 646)
Contact us
For any privacy question, request or complaint, please contact our Privacy Officer.
Privacy Officer, Brisbane Sedation Dentistry
Suites 201-203, Level 2, 621 Gympie Road
Chermside QLD 4032
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be on this page, with the date it was last updated at the top.