In order to provide you with the highest standard of orthodontic care, this practice is required to collect personal information from you.  This information covers  basic details such as your name, address and telephone number but it is also necessary for the dentist to obtain from you details regarding your general health and past medical or surgical  events.  Without this general health picture, the treating orthodontist is unable to plan your care properly.

Naturally, some of this information is of a personal nature and some of it might be regarded as ‘sensitive’ and not the sort of information that you would wish to be unnecessarily disclosed to others.

We value the need to safeguard this information and, in accordance with the principles laid down in privacy legislation and the guidelines issued by the Australian Dental Association, we would like to assure you that:

• This information will only be used by the treating orthodontist in order to deliver your care to the highest standards.
• To ensure optimum orthodontic treatment, we may need to forward information about your treatment to your general dentist or specialist. At commencement of your orthodontic treatment a letter will be sent to your general dentist.  It may also be necessary to send letters during the course of your treatment.  Some of your information will be required by those directly responsible for delivering any additional dental specialist care.
• Your personal information will not be disclosed to those not associated with your treatment, without your express consent.
• You may seek access to the information held about you and we will provide this access without undue delay. This access might be by inspection of your dental records at the time of appointment or by special access or copying of information.
• We will take reasonable steps to ensure at all times that the details we keep about you are accurate, complete and up-to-date.
• We will take reasonable steps to protect this information from misuse or loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
• Your study models and/or X rays may be used for teaching purposes to dental and orthodontic students at the University of Melbourne, or to orthodontist/specialist colleagues. We will ensure that your anonymity is preserved when using your records for the purposes of the above and if you do not wish your records to be used, you may withdraw consent at any time.
• Our staff are trained to respect these principles at all times.