Privacy Policy
◆ LAST UPDATED: 16 JULY 2026 ◆
1. Introduction and Commitment
98ln Pty Ltd (trading as "98ln Dental Atelier"), together with its practitioners, staff, and associated entities, is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal and health information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, disclose, and safeguard information about our patients, website visitors, and individuals who enquire about our services.
We adhere strictly to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and relevant state-based health records legislation including the Health Records and Information Privacy Act 2002 (NSW). Our obligations also extend to the Dental Board of Australia's professional standards and the Australian Dental Association's Code of Ethics.
Your trust is the foundation of our practice. We treat your personal and health information with the same care and confidentiality we apply to your clinical treatment.
2. Types of Information We Collect
The information we collect depends on your relationship with us. Categories of information include:
2.1 Personal Identification Information
- Full legal name, date of birth, gender
- Residential and postal addresses
- Telephone numbers (mobile and landline)
- Email addresses
- Occupation and employer (where relevant to treatment planning)
- Emergency contact details
- Medicare number and private health fund membership details
- Government-issued identification numbers (where legally required)
2.2 Health and Sensitive Information
- Comprehensive medical and dental history
- Current medications, allergies, and sensitivities
- Family medical history relevant to dental treatment
- Clinical examination findings and diagnostic records
- Radiographic images, photographs, and digital scans
- Treatment plans, progress notes, and clinical correspondence
- Genetic information inferred from family history
- Information about disabilities or special needs
2.3 Financial and Administrative Information
- Payment information (card details processed via secure payment gateways)
- Billing history and account balances
- Insurance claim details and correspondence
- Consent forms and signed agreements
2.4 Digital and Technical Information
- IP addresses and device identifiers
- Browser type, operating system, and screen resolution
- Pages visited, time spent on pages, and referral sources
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies
- Communication logs from website enquiries
3. How We Collect Information
We collect information through multiple channels:
- Directly from you during registration forms, consultations, treatment, and follow-up communications
- From your treating practitioners including general practitioners, specialists, and allied health professionals
- From third parties such as private health funds, Medicare, laboratories, and imaging providers
- From our website through enquiry forms, cookies, and analytics tools
- From publicly available sources where relevant and legally permissible
- Through observation during clinical examinations and treatment
4. Purposes of Collection and Use
We use your information for the following primary purposes:
4.1 Direct Care and Treatment
- Conducting comprehensive assessments and developing treatment plans
- Delivering safe, effective, and appropriate dental care
- Coordinating with other healthcare providers involved in your care
- Maintaining accurate clinical records as required by law
- Monitoring treatment outcomes and adjusting care accordingly
4.2 Practice Administration
- Scheduling and confirming appointments
- Processing payments and managing accounts
- Submitting claims to Medicare and private health funds
- Responding to enquiries and communications
- Managing complaints and feedback
4.3 Quality and Compliance
- Conducting internal quality assurance and peer review
- Complying with regulatory reporting obligations
- Participating in professional accreditation processes
- Conducting staff training (with de-identified information where possible)
- Responding to legal proceedings and subpoenas
4.4 Communication and Marketing
- Sending recall reminders and preventive care notifications
- Providing relevant health information and educational content
- Informing you of new services or changes to our practice
- With your explicit consent, marketing communications
5. Storage and Security
We implement comprehensive administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect your information:
5.1 Physical Security
Paper records are stored in locked cabinets within access-controlled areas. Our premises are protected by alarm systems, access logs, and security protocols.
5.2 Electronic Security
Digital records are stored on Australian-based servers with encryption at rest and in transit. Access is restricted to authorised personnel through multi-factor authentication, role-based permissions, and comprehensive audit trails.
5.3 Data Retention
We retain adult dental records for a minimum of seven years from the date of last treatment. Records for patients treated as minors are retained until the patient reaches 25 years of age or seven years after last treatment, whichever is longer. Specific retention periods may be extended where required by professional standards or legal obligations.
6. Disclosure of Information
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We disclose information only in the following circumstances:
- To other healthcare providers involved in your care, with your consent
- To private health funds and Medicare for claims processing
- To dental laboratories for custom restoration fabrication (limited to necessary clinical information)
- To professional indemnity insurers for claim purposes
- To regulatory bodies when required by law (e.g., AHPRA, Dental Council of NSW)
- To courts or tribunals in response to valid legal process
- To law enforcement where there is a serious threat to life, health, or safety
- To third-party service providers bound by confidentiality agreements (e.g., IT support, accounting)
7. Cross-Border Disclosure
Some of our service providers operate outside Australia, including cloud storage providers, software vendors, and specialist consultants. Where information is transferred overseas, we take reasonable steps to ensure recipients comply with standards substantially similar to the Australian Privacy Principles. We remain accountable for any breach by overseas recipients of information we have disclosed.
8. Your Rights and Access
You have the right to:
- Access the personal information we hold about you
- Request correction of inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information
- Withdraw consent for specific uses of your information
- Opt out of marketing communications
- Lodge a complaint about our privacy practices
- Request anonymity or pseudonymity where lawful and practicable
Access requests must be made in writing and may be subject to a reasonable fee to cover administrative costs. We will respond within 30 days and may decline requests in limited circumstances permitted by law (e.g., where access would pose a serious threat to life or health, or would unreasonably impact the privacy of others).
9. Cookies and Digital Tracking
Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance user experience and analyse site performance. Please refer to our Cookie Policy for detailed information about the types of cookies used and how to manage your preferences.
10. Children and Young People
We treat information about patients under 18 years of age with particular care. Consent for collection and use is obtained from parents or guardians, except where the young person demonstrates sufficient maturity to provide informed consent (the "Gillick competence" principle). We respect the evolving capacity of young patients to make decisions about their health information.
11. Breaches and Complaints
In the unlikely event of a data breach likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) in accordance with the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
If you have concerns about how we have handled your information, please contact our Privacy Officer in the first instance. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the OAIC.
Contact Our Privacy Officer
Email: [email protected]
Postal: 98ln Pty Ltd, 707/38-42 Bridge Street, Sydney NSW 2000, Australia
Telephone: +61 2 9299 4669
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in legislation, professional standards, or our practices. The current version will always be available on our website with the date of last revision clearly indicated. We encourage you to review this policy regularly. Significant changes that affect your rights will be communicated directly where practicable.
13. Definitions
For the purposes of this policy:
- "Health information" has the meaning given in the Privacy Act 1988
- "Sensitive information" includes health information, genetic information, biometric information, and information about racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, or criminal record
- "Personal information" means information or opinion about an identified individual or an individual who is reasonably identifiable
◆ END OF PRIVACY POLICY ◆