Effective Date: September 28, 2026
APPREHENSIVE PATIENT DENTAL OFFICES, P.C. (the “Practice,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect through apprehensivepatientdentalcare.com (the “Website”), our online forms and our text messaging program, how we use and share it, and the choices you have.
References on the Website to “Apprehensive Patient” or “Apprehensive Patient of Eatontown” mean the Practice’s Eatontown office, and this Privacy Policy covers only that office. Other dental offices that use the name “Apprehensive Patient” are separately owned and operated and have their own privacy practices.
How this policy relates to HIPAA. As a dental practice, we are a covered entity under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Once you are our patient, your dental records and other protected health information are governed by our Notice of Privacy Practices, available through the link in the Website footer and at our front desk. If this policy and the Notice of Privacy Practices ever conflict about protected health information, the Notice of Privacy Practices controls.
1. Information We Collect
Information you give us. When you complete a contact or appointment form, request a new patient appointment, sign up for texts, or email or call us, we may collect your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, date of birth, insurance carrier, reason for your visit, preferred appointment times and anything else you choose to include.
Information collected automatically. When you visit the Website, we and our service providers may collect your IP address and approximate location, browser and device type, pages viewed, time on page and the site that referred you, using cookies and similar technologies.
Health information. Please keep form and text messages brief, such as “toothache, upper left.” Do not send detailed medical history, medications or insurance member numbers through the Website. Call us at (732) 544-9101 for anything sensitive.
2. How We Use Information
- Respond to your questions and schedule, confirm or remind you of appointments
- Verify insurance and process payments
- Send care-related messages by phone, email or text
- Send promotional messages, only if you have opted in
- Operate, secure and improve the Website
- Comply with law and professional obligations
3. How We Share Information
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising. We share it only with:
- Service providers that host the Website, run our scheduling, forms and text messaging, or provide analytics, under contracts that limit their use of it. Where a provider handles protected health information, we require a HIPAA business associate agreement.
- Insurance carriers and benefit administrators, when you ask us to verify coverage or bill them.
- Other health care providers, such as specialists, dental labs and imaging centers involved in your care.
- Government authorities or others when required by law, subpoena or court order, or to protect health and safety.
- A successor organization if the Practice is sold or merged, subject to applicable law.
4. Text Messaging Program
If you opt in, we collect your mobile number, your consent record and the messages exchanged. We use this only to run the text program. No mobile information will be shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. Text messaging originator opt-in data and consent will not be shared with any third parties, except Adit and the wireless carriers that deliver our messages. Reply STOP to opt out or HELP for help at any time. Message and data rates may apply. Standard text messaging is not encrypted, so please do not text sensitive health or financial details.
5. Cookies, Analytics and Tracking Technologies
We use cookies that are needed for the Website to work and analytics tools such as Google Analytics to understand how visitors use the Website. We do not use advertising pixels or session recording tools on pages where you request appointments or submit health information. You can block or delete cookies in your browser settings, though some features may not work as a result.
6. Third-Party Services
The Website may include content or tools from Adit (our website, online booking, forms and text messaging provider), Google Maps, Google review widgets and financing providers such as CareCredit, Cherry and LendingClub. Those companies may collect information under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to read.
7. Your Choices and Rights
- Marketing email: click “unsubscribe” in any marketing email or contact us.
- Text messages: reply STOP.
- Access, correction or deletion: you may ask to see, correct or delete personal information we collected through the Website. We will verify your identity before acting and respond within the time required by law.
- Patient records: your rights over your dental records, including access and amendment, are described in our Notice of Privacy Practices. Federal and New Jersey law require us to keep dental records for set periods, so we cannot delete them on request.
We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
8. Data Security
We use reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards to protect personal information. No website, email or text transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a security incident affects your information, we will notify you as required by New Jersey law and, for protected health information, by HIPAA.
9. Data Retention
We keep Website and messaging information only as long as needed for the purposes above, to meet legal obligations and to resolve disputes. Dental records are kept for the periods required by New Jersey Board of Dentistry rules and other applicable law.
10. Children’s Privacy
The Website is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them online. Information about minor patients is provided by a parent or guardian and handled under our Notice of Privacy Practices. If you believe a child has sent us information through the Website, contact us and we will delete it.
11. Links to Other Websites
The Website may link to sites we do not control. We are not responsible for their privacy practices.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy by posting a revised version with a new Effective Date.
13. Contact Us
Privacy Officer: Office Manager
APPREHENSIVE PATIENT DENTAL OFFICES, P.C.
37 Highway 35, Suite 6, Eatontown, NJ 07724
Phone: (732) 544-9101
Email: contact@apprehensivepatientdentalcare.com