Privacy Policy

Effective date: November 11, 2026

West Allis Smiles Dental (“we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website located at westallissmiles.com (the “Site”) and a text messaging program for our patients. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and protect it, and the choices available to you. By using the Site or opting in to our text messages, you agree to the practices described in this Policy.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in the following ways:

• Information you provide directly – for example, your name, phone number, email address, and message content when you submit an appointment request, contact form, or online patient form.
• Text messaging information – your mobile phone number, your consent (opt-in) to receive text messages from us, and the messages you send to us.
• Information collected automatically – including your IP address, browser and device type, pages visited, and time on the Site, collected through cookies and similar analytics technologies for security and website functionality.
• Information provided in person or by phone – including health history and other information you share with our clinical team as part of your care, which is handled under the HIPAA provisions described in Section 4.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Respond to appointment requests, contact form submissions, and other questions.
• Send you the text messages you have agreed to receive, such as appointment reminders and confirmations, replies to your messages, and, if you have opted in to them, updates or promotions about our practice.
• Maintain, secure, and improve the Site, and protect against fraud and misuse.

We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties.

3. Text Messaging (SMS)

If you opt in to receive text messages from West Allis Smiles Dental, we collect your mobile phone number and a record of your consent, and we use them only to send the text messages described in our Terms and Conditions: appointment reminders and confirmations, replies to your questions, and, if you have agreed to them, updates and promotional messages about our practice. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP at any time to opt out, or HELP for help.

We do not share your phone number or SMS opt-in information with third parties for marketing purposes. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Information may be shared with subcontractors that support our services, such as the platform that delivers our text messages, only so that they can provide that service. All other categories of sharing exclude text messaging originator opt-in data and consent; this information will not be shared with any third parties.

4. Protected Health Information (HIPAA)

Our practice complies with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Protected Health Information (PHI) is used and disclosed only as permitted for treatment, payment, and healthcare operations, or as otherwise authorized by you in writing. A separate Notice of Privacy Practices, describing your rights under HIPAA in full, is available at our office or upon request.

5. Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Records

Certain records relating to the identity, diagnosis, prognosis, or treatment of any patient in connection with the prevention or treatment of substance use disorder are subject to additional protection under federal law, 42 CFR Part 2. We will not use or disclose such records to investigate or prosecute a patient, or in connection with any civil, criminal, administrative, or legislative proceeding against a patient, without the patient’s specific written consent or a court order that meets the requirements of 42 CFR Part 2.

6. Sharing of Information

We do not sell or rent your personal information. We may share information with:

• Service providers who perform functions on our behalf, such as appointment scheduling, patient messaging, website hosting, and analytics – bound by confidentiality obligations appropriate to the information involved.
• Business associates, where required for the operation of our practice under HIPAA, and only under a Business Associate Agreement.
• Legal or regulatory authorities, where required by law, court order, or to protect the safety of a patient or the public.

Your mobile phone number and text messaging opt-in information are never shared for marketing purposes, as described in Section 3.

7. Cookies and Analytics

The Site uses cookies and similar technologies to support core functionality and to understand how visitors use the Site (for example, via analytics tools). You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings; doing so may affect some Site functionality.

8. Data Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the information we collect. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our Site is not directed to, and is not intended for use by, children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children through the Site. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can address it.

10. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your state of residence, you may have rights with respect to your personal information, which may include the right to:

• Know what personal information we have collected about you.
• Request access to, or a copy of, your personal information.
• Request correction of inaccurate personal information.
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal and record-keeping requirements (including HIPAA retention obligations for medical records).
• Opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP, and opt out of certain other uses of your information where applicable under state law.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in Section 13. Requests relating specifically to your medical records are handled under our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices, available at our office or upon request.

11. Data Retention

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Policy, including to comply with legal, regulatory, tax, or accounting requirements. Medical records are retained in accordance with Wisconsin recordkeeping requirements and our internal records retention policy.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with a revised effective date. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact us:
West Allis Smiles Dental
Email: [email protected]
Contact page: westallissmiles.com/contact