Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Ascend Dental Ashland LLC ("we," "us," or "the Practice") collects, uses, and protects the personal and protected health information ("PHI") of patients and visitors who interact with us, including via our practice management system, telephone, text message (SMS), email, and in person.

We are a "covered entity" under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and follow HIPAA's Privacy Rule and Security Rule in addition to the practices described here.

1. Information we collect

• Identifying information — name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, emergency contact, photograph (when used for clinical records).
• Insurance & payment information — insurance carrier, group number, subscriber ID, card details, balance owed, payment method on file.
• Clinical information (PHI) — medical history, dental history, allergies, medications, treatment plans, clinical notes, X-rays and other imaging, periodontal charts, prescriptions, claims and remittance records.
• Communication preferences — opt-in/opt-out status for SMS, email, and phone communications; preferred channel; quiet hours.
• Communication content — appointment confirmations, recall notifications, balance reminders, and replies to those messages.

2. How we use your information

• Treatment — to provide dental care, schedule appointments, plan treatment, and coordinate referrals.
• Payment — to process payments, send statements, and collect balances owed.
• Health-care operations — recordkeeping, quality improvement, training, audits, and compliance with applicable laws.
• Communications — to send appointment reminders, recall notifications, balance reminders, intake forms, and operational messages by SMS, email, or phone, when you have consented.

3. SMS and text message communications

If you provide your mobile phone number and consent to receive text messages, we may send you appointment reminders, confirmation requests, recall reminders for routine cleanings, balance reminders with payment links, and replies to your inquiries. Message frequency varies; on average a patient receives 0–5 messages per month. Standard message and data rates may apply per your wireless carrier.

You may opt out at any time by replying STOP to any of our text messages, or by contacting us at the phone number or email above. Reply HELP for support.

We do not share your mobile phone number or your SMS opt-in / consent information with any third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Your mobile information is used only to deliver the messages described above, and (for delivery only) is processed by our SMS provider as described in our SMS Terms.

See our separate SMS Terms & Conditions for the complete terms governing text-message communications.

4. How we share your information

We share information only as needed to operate the Practice and as permitted by HIPAA:

• Healthcare partners — laboratories, specialists, imaging centers, and other providers involved in your treatment.
• Insurance carriers — for benefits verification, claims submission, and remittance processing, when applicable.
• Service providers (business associates) — vendors who help us operate, including:
  • Twilio — for SMS delivery and receipt
  • SendGrid (or equivalent) — for transactional email delivery
  • Square (or equivalent) — for payment processing
  • Our practice management software vendor (PractisIQ) — for hosting, backup, and operational support
  Each of these vendors is bound by a Business Associate Agreement (HIPAA BAA) where applicable.
• Legal compliance — when required by law, court order, or regulatory authority.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to advertisers or any other third party for marketing purposes.

5. Data retention

Clinical records (PHI) are retained for the period required by Illinois state law for dental records (a minimum of 10 years from the date of last treatment for adults; longer for minors). Communication transcripts (SMS, email) are retained for seven years for HIPAA-compliance and audit purposes.

6. Your rights

• Access — you may request a copy of your records.
• Amend — you may request corrections to inaccurate information.
• Restrict — you may request restrictions on certain uses or disclosures.
• Confidential communications — you may request that we contact you only by certain means (e.g., email only, no SMS).
• Accounting of disclosures — you may request a list of certain disclosures we have made.
• Complaint — you may file a complaint with us or with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office for Civil Rights without retaliation.

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the information at the top of this page.

7. Security

We protect your information using administrative, physical, and technical safeguards that meet or exceed the HIPAA Security Rule requirements. Access to electronic records is restricted to authorized staff and protected by encryption in transit and at rest.

8. Children's privacy

We treat children's records with the additional protections required by HIPAA and Illinois state law. A parent or legal guardian provides consent for treatment and communications for patients under 18.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Effective" date at the top reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be communicated to patients directly when required.

10. Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy or your records, contact:

Ascend Dental Ashland LLC
3540 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: (312) 755-8488
Email: ascenddentalashland@gmail.com