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Privacy policy · Last updated 2026-06-21

How Dunning Family Dental handles your information.

We collect only the information needed to provide care, schedule visits, and communicate clearly. We don't sell patient data. Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in information are never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes, full stop. The plain-language details are below.

Questions? Call the officeSMS terms
Front desk at Dunning Family Dental, where patient information is handled with discretion.

The short version.

We collect what we need to deliver dental care. We share what we must to bill insurance, refer to specialists, or follow the law. We never sell or rent your information.

Plainly stated

Who we are.

This Privacy Policy describes how Dunning Family Dental ("we," "us," or "the practice") collects, uses, and protects information from patients, prospective patients, and visitors to our website dunningfamilydental.com and to our office at 310 Jansen Avenue, Johnstown, NY 12095.

For questions about this policy, contact the practice at (518) 842-3220 during office hours or by mail at the address above.

What we collect.

Information you give us directly: name, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, insurance information, payment information, dental and medical history, treatment preferences, and any other information you provide on new-patient forms, in person, by phone, by email, or by text.

Information collected automatically by our website: standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages viewed, referring URL, timestamp). We also use cookies and Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) to understand how the website is used. You can disable cookies in your browser settings.

Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in information are collected only when you provide your number for appointment-related communication or affirmatively opt into text-message reminders. This data is held separately and governed by the additional terms on the SMS Terms page.

How we use information.

We use the information we collect to:

  • Schedule, confirm, and modify appointments;
  • Deliver dental care and document treatment;
  • Submit insurance claims on your behalf as a courtesy and process payments;
  • Send appointment reminders and follow-up communications by phone, email, or text, based on the contact method you've authorized;
  • Refer to specialists when treatment is outside our scope, with your consent;
  • Improve our website and respond to patient feedback; and
  • Comply with applicable law, including HIPAA, the New York public health law, and other regulations governing dental practice.

How we share information.

We share patient information only as needed and only in these specific situations:

  • With your insurance company when filing claims on your behalf;
  • With specialists or referring providers when treatment requires coordination, with your consent;
  • With service providers who help operate the practice (e.g. our practice management system, Dental Intel for patient forms, payment processors, our hosting provider), and only the minimum information necessary for them to perform that function, under contractual confidentiality obligations;
  • When required by law, including public-health reporting obligations, court orders, or to respond to lawful requests from authorities; and
  • To prevent harm in an emergency where disclosure is needed to protect health or safety.

What we do NOT do: We do not sell, rent, lease, or trade your personal information for marketing or any other purpose. Mobile information, including phone numbers and SMS opt-in data, is never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text-message consent and any information collected through SMS interactions stay within Dunning Family Dental and the technical service providers required to deliver the message.

How long we keep information.

Patient dental records are retained for the period required by New York law and by professional standards. typically at least six years for adults after the last date of treatment, and longer for minors (until age of majority plus the applicable retention period). Billing and insurance records are retained for as long as required by tax, accounting, and audit obligations.

Website analytics data is retained per Google Analytics standard retention settings. Mobile phone numbers used for SMS are retained for as long as you remain opted in, plus a short audit-trail period after opt-out for compliance purposes.

Your rights and choices.

You have the right to:

  • Request a copy of your dental records. Contact the front desk at (518) 842-3220 to start a records request.
  • Request corrections to inaccurate information in your record.
  • Withdraw consent for text-message communication at any time by replying STOP to any SMS or by calling the office.
  • Opt out of email communications using the unsubscribe link in any email or by calling the office.
  • Ask questions about how your information has been used by calling (518) 842-3220.

If you are a California, Colorado, Virginia, or other state-privacy-law resident, additional rights may apply under your state's law. Contact the practice to exercise those rights.

HIPAA and protected health information.

Dunning Family Dental is a HIPAA-covered entity. Use and disclosure of protected health information (PHI) is governed by the practice's Notice of Privacy Practices, a copy of which is provided to every new patient and available on request at the front desk. This online Privacy Policy supplements, but does not replace, the Notice of Privacy Practices for matters governed by HIPAA.

Security.

We take reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect patient information against unauthorized access, use, or disclosure, including encrypted electronic records, password-protected practice management systems, restricted office access, and trained staff. No internet transmission or electronic storage is 100% secure, but we work to keep risks proportionate to the sensitivity of the data.

If a breach of unsecured protected health information occurs, we will follow the notification procedures required by HIPAA, including direct notification of affected patients.

Children's privacy.

Dunning Family Dental sees patients of all ages, including children, but our website is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through this website without verifiable parental consent. Information collected from minor patients in the course of providing dental care is handled per HIPAA and applicable state law, with parents or guardians acting on the child's behalf.

Changes to this policy.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted on the homepage for a reasonable period.

Continued use of the website or continued treatment at the practice after a policy update constitutes acknowledgement of the updated terms.

Common questions

Privacy questions, plainly answered.

Do you sell or rent my personal information?
No. We do not sell, rent, lease, or trade any patient or website-visitor information to third parties for marketing, advertising, or any other purpose. We share information only when needed to deliver care, file insurance on your behalf, refer to a specialist, or comply with law, and only the minimum necessary in each case. Mobile phone numbers and SMS opt-in information are specifically protected: they are never shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes under any circumstance. If a service provider needs limited information to perform a function for the practice (e.g. processing payments, hosting our website, sending appointment reminders), they receive only what's necessary and are bound by confidentiality agreements. Call (518) 842-3220 with specific questions about your information.
How do I request a copy of my dental records?
Call (518) 842-3220 and tell the front desk you'd like to request a copy of your records. We'll have you sign a brief release form (HIPAA requires it) and let you know the timing. Records are typically provided within 30 days as required by HIPAA, often sooner. You can request that records be sent directly to another dental provider, to yourself, or to a specific third party you designate. There is no fee for the first copy of your records sent to you electronically; per-page fees may apply for paper copies or for records being sent to a third party. If you have a specific deadline (for example, you're moving and starting with a new dentist), let the front desk know and they'll prioritize the request.
What if I want to opt out of all electronic communication?
Call the office at (518) 842-3220 and ask the front desk to update your contact preferences to phone-only. We'll switch you off email and SMS reminders, and we'll only contact you by phone going forward. You can also reply STOP to any text message to opt out of SMS specifically (this affects only SMS and does not remove you from other communication channels). Note that we may still need to reach you for treatment-related matters, for example, if a follow-up call is needed after a procedure, or if there's an unexpected scheduling conflict. Those communications are part of providing care and aren't considered optional marketing.
Do you use cookies or tracking on the website?
Yes, the website uses standard cookies and Google Analytics (via Google Site Kit) to understand how visitors find and use the site, pages viewed, referring sources, general location, device type. This information is aggregated, doesn't personally identify individual visitors, and is used to improve the site. You can disable cookies in your browser settings if you prefer. Disabling cookies won't affect your ability to use the site, though some convenience features may be reduced. We don't use advertising cookies or remarketing pixels on the site at this time. The full list of cookies and their purposes can be reviewed by visiting your browser's developer tools or by asking us.
Is text-message communication HIPAA-compliant?
Patient-facing SMS is used only for non-clinical communications: appointment reminders, new-patient form links, schedule changes, and basic confirmations. We don't send treatment details, diagnoses, or specific clinical information by text. For anything that requires clinical context, the front desk calls instead. This approach keeps SMS within the carve-out HIPAA permits for routine practice communications when reasonable safeguards are in place. If you'd prefer not to receive any text messages from the practice, reply STOP to any text or call the office and we'll switch you to phone-only. We'll honor that preference for all future communications.

Questions about how your information is used?

Call (518) 842-3220, the front desk can answer most privacy questions in about five minutes, and direct anything that requires deeper review to Dr. D'Addio.

Call to ask
Dunning Family Dental 310 Jansen Avenue Johnstown, NY 12095 (518) 842-3220

A legacy of family dentistry you can trust.

518-842-3220 Call now