Notice of Privacy Practices

Our Commitment to Your Privacy

Southern Smiles ("we," "us," or "our") is committed to protecting the privacy of your protected health information ("PHI"). This Notice describes how we may use and disclose your PHI to carry out treatment, payment, or health care operations and for other purposes permitted or required by law. It also describes your rights regarding the PHI we maintain about you.

How We May Use and Disclose Your PHI

Treatment. We may use and disclose your PHI to provide, coordinate, or manage your dental care and any related services, including with other providers (e.g., specialists, labs, or imaging facilities) involved in your treatment.

Payment. We may use and disclose your PHI to obtain payment for services we provide, including verifying insurance coverage, billing, and collection activities.

Health Care Operations. We may use and disclose your PHI for activities necessary to operate our practice, such as quality assessment, staff training, licensing, and business management.

Appointment Reminders & Communications. We may contact you to remind you of appointments or to provide information about treatment alternatives or other health-related benefits and services.

Required by Law. We may disclose your PHI when required by federal, state, or local law, including for public health activities, judicial proceedings, law enforcement, or to prevent a serious threat to health or safety.

Uses and Disclosures Requiring Your Authorization

Other uses and disclosures of your PHI not covered by this Notice or the laws that apply to us will be made only with your written authorization. You may revoke that authorization, in writing, at any time, except to the extent we have already acted in reliance on it. Marketing communications and the sale of PHI always require your written authorization.

Your Rights Regarding Your PHI

• Right to Inspect and Copy — you may request to inspect and obtain a copy of your PHI in our records.
• Right to Amend — you may request that we amend PHI we maintain if you believe it is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Right to an Accounting of Disclosures — you may request a list of certain disclosures we have made of your PHI.
• Right to Request Restrictions — you may ask us to restrict certain uses or disclosures of your PHI. We are not required to agree to all requests.
• Right to Confidential Communications — you may request that we communicate with you in a specific way (for example, by mail to a specific address).
• Right to a Paper Copy of this Notice — you may obtain a paper copy of this Notice from us at any time, even if you have agreed to receive it electronically.
• Right to be Notified of a Breach — you have the right to be notified in the event of a breach of your unsecured PHI.

Our Responsibilities

We are required by law to maintain the privacy of your PHI, provide you with this Notice of our legal duties and privacy practices, and abide by the terms of the Notice currently in effect. We reserve the right to change this Notice, and any changes will apply to all PHI we maintain. Updated notices will be posted on our website and made available in our office.

Patient Portal & Online Communications

If you use our patient portal, your communications and any documents you upload are stored using industry-standard encryption and access controls. Only you and authorized members of our staff may view this information. You should not share your portal password with anyone, and you should sign out after each session, especially on shared devices.

Complaints

If you believe your privacy rights have been violated, you may file a complaint with our office or with the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. You will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint.

Contact Us

Southern Smiles — Privacy Officer
15 Lafayette Place, Suite E, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Phone: 843-686-5526