Privacy Policy and GDPR Compliance
We take your privacy seriously and always handle your personal information with care, in line with the UK GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.
This page explains what information we collect, why we need it, how we use it, and how you can contact us with any questions.
Triangle Dental
79 School Road, Tilehurst, Reading, RG31 5AT
📧 manager@triangledental.co.uk
📞 0118 945 1062
Data Controller: Dr Jon Cowie
The personal data we process includes:
Name, address, contact details, gender, pronoun preferences, date of birth, nationality, NHS number, medical history, dental history, family medical history, family contact details, emergency contact details, marital status, information about care needs, financial details, doctor’s details, treatment plans, consent, X-rays, clinical photographs, digital scans, study models, appointment dates, details of complaints.
We may also process more sensitive special category data, including:
Ethnicity, race, religion, health records, sex life information, or sexual orientation.
a. To fulfil our contract with you
b. To maintain a contemporaneous clinical record
c. To discuss treatment options
d. To provide dental prevention and oral health advice
e. To ensure any medication we prescribe is suitable
f. To modify treatments based on individual needs
g. To meet our obligations under the Equality Act 2010
h. To carry out financial transactions
i. To manage appointments, recall arrangements and send reminders
j. To communicate with your next of kin in an emergency
k. To communicate with parents or carers about the person being cared for
l. To refer to other dentists, doctors and health professionals as required
m. For debt recovery
n. To continually improve the care and service you receive from us
o. To assist with safeguarding or public protection concerns
p. To assist with dealing with queries, complaints or claims
For standard personal information, we rely on:
• Legitimate interest – to provide safe, evidence-based dental care to our patients.
• Consent – where you have given us permission, for example to receive marketing or appointment reminders.
• Legal obligation
For special category information, we rely on:
a. Processing is necessary for ethical and professional health care purposes
b. Processing is necessary to monitor and assess the quality of opportunity or treatment between different groups
c. Consent of the data subject
We store your personal information securely [on our practice computer system and in a manual filing system]. Only those working at the practice have access to your information. They understand their legal responsibility to maintain confidentiality and follow practice procedures to ensure this.
We take precautions to ensure the security of the practice premises, the practice filing systems and computers.
We use high-quality specialist dental software to record and use your personal information safely and effectively. Our computer system has a secure audit trail, and we back up information routinely.
We use cookies to understand how visitors use our website and improve your browsing experience.
Some cookies (like Google Analytics) collect anonymous information about traffic and usage.
You can disable cookies in your browser settings at any time.
(Doing so may affect some features, but you’ll still be able to access all important information.)
To provide you with appropriate care, we might need to share personal data with the following; however, only the minimum information required will be shared:
a. Another dentist or another health professional who is caring for you
b. Your GP or consultant
c. A laboratory
d. NHS payment authorities
e. The Inland Revenue
f. The Benefits Agency, if you are claiming exemption or remission from NHS charges
g. A private dental scheme, if you are a member
h. Safeguarding organisations
Exceptional circumstances might override the duty to maintain confidentiality. We will inform you of requests to share personal information where possible. The decision to disclose information will only be taken by senior staff. Examples include:
a. Situations where there is a serious public health risk or risk of harm to other individuals
b. When information is required by the police to prevent or detect crime or to apprehend or prosecute offenders (if not providing the information would prejudice these purposes)
c. In response to a court order
d. To enable a dentist to pursue a legal claim against a patient
We keep dental records for 15 years after your last visit or until you turn 25, whichever is longer.
After that, they are reviewed and securely deleted when no longer required.
a. The right to access – you can ask for a copy of the data we hold about you. We do not usually charge you for copies of your information; if we charge you, we will explain why
b. The right to rectification – you can ask us to correct or delete information if it is inaccurate or incomplete. If we have disclosed that information to a third party, we will let them know about the change
c. The right to erasure – you can ask us to delete your personal data. For legal reasons, we may be unable to erase certain information (for example, information about your dental treatment). However, we can, if you ask us to, delete some contact details and other non-clinical information
d. The right to restrict processing – you can ask us to limit how we use your personal data. For example, stop sending you appointment reminders or information about our service
e. The right to data portability – you can ask us to transfer your personal data to someone else. For example, supplying your information electronically to another dentist
f. The right to withdraw consent – you can withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data at any time. For example, even if you have given us consent to send you marketing information, you may withdraw that consent
Whenever you use a health or care service, important information about you is collected in a patient record for that service. Collecting this information helps to ensure you get the best possible care and treatment. The information collected about you can also be used and provided to other organisations for purposes beyond your care, for instance, to help with:
– Improving the quality and standards of care provided
– Research into the development of new treatments
– Preventing illness and diseases
– Monitoring safety
– Planning services
This may only occur when there is a clear legal basis for using this information. All these uses help
to provide better health and care for you, your family and future generations.
If you are happy with this use of information, you do not need to do anything. To find out more or to register your choice to opt out, please visit www.nhs.uk/your-nhs-data-matters. If you choose to opt out, your confidential patient information will still be used to support your care.
If you have concerns about how we handle your data, please contact us directly.
If unresolved, you can contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO): 🌐 www.ico.org.uk
This policy is reviewed annually.
Last reviewed: October 2025
If you’re under 18, or a parent/guardian of a younger patient, please read below.We collect your name, contact details, and dental health information so we can care for your teeth safely.
Your details are kept confidential and secure.
We use your information to:
• Plan and provide your dental care
• Send reminders to your parent or carer
• Share with other dentists or doctors if specialist treatment is needed
We never share your information with anyone else unless the law allows or requires it (for example, for safeguarding).
If you leave the practice, we keep your records safely until you’re 25 years old (or 26 if you were 17 at your last visit), or 15 years after your last treatment — whichever is longer.
You or your parent/guardian can:
• Ask for a copy of your records
• Correct any mistakes
• Ask us to share your records with another dentist
• Ask us to stop sending reminders if you are no longer a patient
When you turn 18, your information will be covered by the adult privacy notice above.
If you have any questions, please contact:
Jon Cowie
📧 manager@triangledental.co.uk | 📞 0118 945 1062