Privacy notice

This notice explains, in plain language, what personal information VitalDent collects through this website, why, who receives it, how long we keep it, and your rights under the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA).

Who we are

VitalDent Inc. is a dental practice at Block G, First Floor, Lake Umuzi Waterfront, Kiewiet Street, Secunda, 2302. We are the responsible party for the personal information you give us through this website.

Our information officer is Dr Lezaan Steyn. You can reach her at admin@vitaldent.co.za or on 017 631 1136.

This notice covers this website only. Information you give us as a patient at the practice forms part of your patient record and is handled under the practice's patient-records procedures.

What we collect and why

Emergency list form (on the booking page). Your name and phone number, and, if you choose to add it, a short description of the problem. We use these only to phone you about the next available appointment. Because a description of a dental problem is health information, we only collect it with your consent, which you give by ticking the box on the form.

Patient feedback form. The clinician you saw, your ratings and comments, and, if you choose to give it, your name. We use your answers to improve our service. If you give your name, only senior management sees it, and only so that we can respond to you.

Online booking. The booking buttons take you to myGC, the diary system the practice uses. The details you enter there go into our appointment diary to book and manage your appointment. myGC is run by a separate company, and its own terms and privacy policy also apply.

Phone, WhatsApp and email. If you contact us this way, we use what you send us to answer you and arrange your care.

Website statistics. We use Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity and Cloudflare Web Analytics to understand how the website is used: pages visited, device and browser type, approximate location, and how people move around a page. Google Analytics and Clarity use cookies or similar technology to do this. We use these statistics to improve the website, not to identify you, and we do not use them for advertising.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for marketing.

Who receives it

• Emergency list: your details are sent by email to the practice inbox (admin@vitaldent.co.za) through FormSubmit (formsubmit.co), a form-to-email service.
• Feedback: your answers are stored in the practice's Google Forms account (Google).
• Website statistics: Google, Microsoft and Cloudflare, as described above.
• Hosting: the website is hosted by Cloudflare.

Inside the practice, only the people who need the information to do their job (reception, the dentists and practice management) see it. Some of these service providers process information on servers outside South Africa.

How long we keep it

We keep emergency-list requests and feedback only for as long as we need them for the purpose they were given for. If you become a patient, your contact details form part of your patient record, which we keep for as long as the law and the Health Professions Council of South Africa's guidelines require.

How we protect it

Every page and form on this website is sent over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection, and only practice staff can read the practice inbox and feedback responses.

Your rights

Under POPIA you may:

• ask whether we hold personal information about you, and ask for a copy of it;
• ask us to correct or delete information that is wrong, out of date or no longer needed;
• object to us using your information, or withdraw your consent at any time (this does not affect anything we did lawfully before you withdrew it);
• complain to the Information Regulator.

To use any of these rights, email our information officer at admin@vitaldent.co.za. We may need to confirm who you are before we act on a request.

The Information Regulator

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, please tell us first so that we can put it right. You may also complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa):

• Address: Woodmead North Office Park, 54 Maxwell Drive, Woodmead, Johannesburg, 2191
• Phone: 010 023 5200
• Complaints: POPIAComplaints@inforegulator.org.za
• General enquiries: enquiries@inforegulator.org.za
• Website: inforegulator.org.za

Changes to this notice

If the way we handle personal information changes, we will update this page and the date at the top.