Last updated: October 20, 2026
Yonge Forest Dental is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of the personal information and personal health information entrusted to us by our patients and website visitors. This policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain, and safeguard information in accordance with Ontario's Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA), Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and other applicable privacy requirements.
Who is accountable for privacy?
Yonge Forest Dental is the health information custodian for patient records created or received in the course of providing dental care. Our team members and service providers are expected to protect patient information and use it only for authorized purposes. Privacy questions may be directed to our Privacy Officer using the contact information at the end of this policy.
Information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Contact details such as your name, phone number, email address, mailing address, and preferred method of communication.
- Appointment request details, messages you submit through our website forms, and other information needed to respond to your inquiry.
- Dental and health information needed to provide care, including medical history, dental history, medications, allergies, diagnostic images, treatment notes, consent forms, insurance information, and billing records.
- Website and device information such as pages visited, browser type, approximate location, referring pages, cookies, and analytics identifiers.
Please avoid submitting urgent medical concerns or highly sensitive health details through website forms or email. If you are experiencing a dental emergency, call the clinic directly at 249-888-2001.
How we use information
We use personal information and personal health information to:
- Schedule, confirm, and manage appointments.
- Assess, diagnose, provide, and follow up on dental care.
- Communicate with you about your care, referrals, estimates, insurance, billing, and administrative matters.
- Maintain accurate patient records and comply with professional, legal, and regulatory obligations.
- Operate, secure, improve, and measure the performance of our website and online forms.
- Send clinic updates or marketing communications only where permitted by law and with any required consent.
Consent and choices
By requesting care, submitting a form, or otherwise providing information to us, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of information for the purposes described in this policy and as otherwise permitted or required by law. You may withdraw or limit consent, subject to legal, contractual, and clinical requirements. Withdrawing consent may affect our ability to provide services or communicate with you.
Disclosure of information
We do not sell patient information. We may disclose information only as reasonably necessary and permitted by law, including to:
- Other health care providers involved in your care, with consent or as permitted by PHIPA.
- Dental laboratories, specialists, pharmacies, insurers, payment processors, and billing or administrative service providers.
- Technology, hosting, form, analytics, security, and records-management vendors who help us operate the clinic and website under confidentiality and privacy obligations.
- Regulators, public authorities, courts, or law enforcement where required or authorized by law.
Website forms, analytics, and cookies
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to understand site traffic, improve usability, measure marketing performance, and keep online forms functioning securely. You can set your browser to refuse or delete cookies, but some website features may not work as intended. Information submitted through website forms is used to respond to your request and may be processed by secure third-party service providers that support our website, forms, communications, or patient-management workflows.
Safeguards
We use administrative, technical, and physical safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information, such as access controls, staff confidentiality expectations, secure systems, encryption where appropriate, and procedures for protecting patient records. No website, email, or electronic system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to reduce risk and respond to privacy concerns.
Retention
We retain patient records and related information for as long as required by applicable law, professional standards, and legitimate business needs. When information is no longer required, we securely destroy, delete, or anonymize it where appropriate.
Accessing or correcting your information
You may request access to, or correction of, your personal information or personal health information held by Yonge Forest Dental, subject to limited exceptions under applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before responding to a request.
Privacy incidents and complaints
If you believe your privacy has been affected, contact us as soon as possible so we can review the concern. Where required by law, we will notify affected individuals and applicable regulators of privacy breaches. You also have the right to complain to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC) about how we handle your personal health information, including a refused or delayed access or correction request. You can reach the IPC through its website at ipc.on.ca.
Contact us
For privacy questions, access or correction requests, or complaints, please contact the Privacy Officer. To ask for this policy in another format, see our accessibility statement. Use of our website is also governed by our terms of use.
Privacy Officer
Yonge Forest Dental
681 Yonge St, Barrie, ON L9J 0K1
249-888-2001
info@yongeforestdental.com