The privacy of dental and medical information is of crucial importance in today’s world where personal information can be misused by mischievous elements for individual gain. Your information is personal and your dentist has a moral and legal obligation to see that your dental information remains confidential and secure. The dental office will carry a record of all the treatments and services acquired by you.

The federal HIPAA Privacy Rule was established to protect your health information, by setting standards and regulations for health care providers to follow on how to share your personal information responsibly. According to the law, your dental information must be kept private and your dentist in Allen, Texas, must furnish a notice describing their legal duties, privacy practices and your rights regarding dental information. The clinic must follow the terms mentioned in the notice to the full extent. Even conversations about you conducted between health care providers must be kept confidential.

Your dentist can disclose your health information in the following conditions:

• Treatment: Your dental clinic can share information with other dental specialists when there is need for referral for the purpose of treatment or payment.
• Payment: The dental clinic may disclose your health information to your insurance provider for the purpose of payment.
• Workers’ Compensation: Dental information may need to be disclosed as necessary to comply with state workers’ compensation laws.
• Emergencies: When there is a medical condition or in the event of an emergency or of your death, the dental clinic may disclose your health information to notify or assist in notifying a family member, or another person responsible for your care.
• Public Health: As required by law, the dental clinic may disclose your health information to public health authorities for purposes related to: reporting disease or infection exposure, reporting child abuse or neglect, reporting domestic violence, reporting to the Food and Drug Administration problems with products and reactions to medications, etc.
• Judicial and Administrative Proceedings: During any administrative or judicial proceeding your dental information may need to be disclosed.
• Law Enforcement: Law enforcement official may need your health information for purposes such as identifying or locating a suspect, fugitive, material witness or missing person, complying with a court order or subpoena or in order to prevent or lessen a serious and imminent threat to the health or safety of a particular person or to the general public.
• Deceased Persons: Your health information could be transferred to coroners or medical examiners to identify deceased persons. It may also be needed by organ procurement agencies.
• Research: Your health information may be disclosed to researchers conducting research that has been approved by an Institutional Review Board and has established protocols for ensuring privacy of dental information.
• Appointments: Your information could be used by the clinic to send you appropriate reminders regarding appointments.