Privacy Policy

We collect information that is necessary to provide you with dental care consultations, appointment scheduling, and travel assistance. This information falls into three categories:

We use the information you provide solely to serve you as a patient or prospective patient. Specifically, we use your information to:

— Respond to your inquiry and provide a free dental quote or treatment plan
— Schedule and confirm appointments at our Cuenca clinic
— Coordinate travel logistics including airport pickup and hotel recommendations
— Provide you with treatment summaries, post-operative care instructions, and follow-up care
— Send you appointment reminders or relevant updates about your care (not marketing, unless you opt in)
— Comply with applicable laws and professional obligations

Because we are a dental clinic serving international patients, we handle sensitive health information. This includes dental X-rays, photographs of your teeth and smile, treatment records, medical history relevant to dental procedures, and any documents you share with Dr. Pacheco or Adam during the consultation process.

We treat all health-related information with the highest level of confidentiality. This information is:

— Accessible only to treating dental staff (Dr. Pacheco, Dayana Sanmartin) and your patient concierge (Adam Altholtz) on a need-to-know basis
— Never shared with advertising platforms, data brokers, or unrelated third parties
— Used only to plan, perform, and follow up on your dental treatment
— Stored securely and not disclosed publicly under any circumstances

Our website (smilehealthecuador.com) uses cookies and similar technologies to improve your browsing experience and understand how visitors interact with the site. The types of cookies we use include:

Essential Cookies: Required for the website to function properly. These cannot be disabled.

Analytics Cookies: We use Google Analytics or similar services to understand traffic sources, page performance, and user behavior. This data is aggregated and anonymous.

Third-Party Embed Cookies: Features such as embedded Google Maps, YouTube videos, or review widgets (Trustindex) may set their own cookies. These are governed by the respective third party's privacy policy.

You may configure your browser to refuse or delete cookies. Note that disabling cookies may affect certain features of the site. Where required by law, we will request your consent before placing non-essential cookies.

We use a limited number of trusted third-party services to operate our website and communications. These include:

We do not share your name, contact information, or health data with any of these platforms beyond what is technically necessary for communication (e.g., your phone number to receive a WhatsApp message from us).

We may disclose your information if required by Ecuadorian law, a court order, or to protect the legal rights of the clinic or any individual from harm.

We retain patient records and communications for as long as is necessary to provide ongoing care and to comply with applicable professional and legal obligations in Ecuador. Dental records are typically retained for a minimum of five (5) years following your last treatment, consistent with good clinical practice.

Website inquiry data and non-patient communications (e.g., inquiries that did not result in treatment) are retained for a reasonable period not exceeding two (2) years, after which they are deleted or anonymized.

You may request deletion of your information at any time (subject to legal and clinical obligations) by contacting us at info@smilehealthecuador.com.

Regardless of your country of origin, we respect your right to control your personal data. You have the following rights with respect to information we hold about you:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@smilehealthecuador.com. We will respond within 30 days.

We serve patients from the United States, Canada, and Europe, and we are mindful of the privacy laws applicable in those regions.

For European Union / EEA Residents (GDPR): If you are located in the EU or EEA, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Our legal basis for processing your personal data is typically your explicit consent (given when you contact us or submit a form) or the performance of a contract (when you book dental treatment). You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority if you believe we have mishandled your data.

For Canadian Residents (PIPEDA): We comply with the principles of Canada's Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) including consent, purpose limitation, and data accuracy.

For US Residents: While we are not subject to HIPAA as a foreign healthcare provider, we voluntarily uphold its core principles of patient privacy, minimum necessary disclosure, and secure record-keeping.

By contacting us or using our website from outside Ecuador, you acknowledge that your information will be processed in Ecuador, which may have different data protection laws than your home country.

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal and health information from unauthorized access, loss, misuse, or disclosure. These measures include:

— Secure, password-protected storage of patient records
— Limited access to sensitive health information on a strict need-to-know basis
— Use of encrypted communication channels (email and WhatsApp) for patient correspondence
— Our website is served over HTTPS (SSL encryption)

Our website and services are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verified parental consent. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has submitted personal information to us, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

Minors between 13 and 17 may receive dental care at our clinic only with explicit parental or guardian consent accompanying their first consultation.

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. When we make changes, we will update the effective date at the top of this page.

We encourage you to review this page periodically. For significant changes, we may notify existing patients directly via email or WhatsApp. Your continued use of our website or services after any update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please contact us using any of the methods below. Adam is available 24/7 via WhatsApp and typically responds within minutes.