Privacy Policy

1. Data Controller

SmileHouse – Zahnspange im Seetal Bahnhofstrasse 3, 6285 Hitzkirch Dr. med. dent. Stefka Koychev smilehouse@zahnspange-seetal.ch

For confidential and encrypted communication, we are also available via the Swiss health network HIN: smilehouse@sso-hin.ch

2. What Data We Collect

We do not collect medical data via the website. For confidential medical communication, please use our HIN address smilehouse@sso-hin.ch – this ensures end-to-end encrypted transmission within the Swiss healthcare system.

• Contact details (name, email address, phone number)
• Appointment details
• Communication via form or email
• Technical data (IP address, browser, operating system, pages visited, date and time of visit)
• Information about where your visit came from (e.g. referring website, campaign parameters). We store the click ID of an online ad (e.g. from Google or Meta) only if you have consented to the “Marketing” category.

3. Purpose of Data Collection

• Scheduling appointments and answering your enquiries
• Optimising and ensuring the functionality of our website
• Protecting our forms against spam and misuse
• Statistical analysis of website usage (only with your consent)
• Measuring the effectiveness of our online advertising (only with your consent)
• Compliance with legal obligations

4. Retention Period

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary to provide our medical services, to fulfil statutory retention obligations, or to safeguard our legitimate interests. Medical treatment records are retained for a longer period in accordance with the applicable statutory and professional requirements.

There is therefore no entitlement to early deletion of this data. Technical website data (log files) are deleted once their respective purpose has been fulfilled.

5. Disclosure of Data

Your data is not sold. Disclosure to third parties only occurs:

• to carefully selected service providers who process data on our behalf and on our instructions (see section 6)
• to Google and Meta to measure our online advertising – only with your consent (see section 6)
• where required by law
• with your express consent

6. Service Providers and Third Parties

We use service providers who process personal data on our behalf and are contractually bound to confidentiality and data security. They fall into the following categories:

• Hosting and delivery of the website (USA), including a cookieless visitor count that stores nothing on your device and does not identify you
• Management of enquiries and appointments in a CRM system (data stored in the EU); its tracking cookies are only set with your consent
• Online appointment booking (USA)
• Sending email notifications to our practice team, and appointment confirmations and reminders to patients by email and SMS (USA)
• The practice telephone system, including a text message to callers whose call we could not answer (USA)
• Protecting forms against spam and automated access
• Practice management (Switzerland)
• Cookie and consent management: Cookiebot (Cybot A/S, Denmark)

6a. Google Analytics and Google Ads

Only if you consent in the cookie banner do we use services of Google Ireland Limited (Ireland) and Google LLC (USA): Google Analytics (“Statistics” category) to analyse website usage, and Google Ads conversion measurement (“Marketing” category). Without your consent, these services set no cookies. We use Google Consent Mode: without consent, Google only receives cookieless signals (for example that a page was viewed, with technical data such as IP address and browser) that are not linked to a device over time.

If you reach our website via a Google ad and have consented to the “Marketing” category, we store the ad's click ID together with your enquiry.

Google and Meta only learn that you made an enquiry or booked an appointment if you tick the separate, optional ad-measurement box in the form. We then send Google the click ID, the time, and your email address and phone number in encrypted (hashed) form, so that Google can measure the ad's effectiveness. Without that box we send Google and Meta nothing about it, even if you consented in the cookie banner. We never send whether you are being treated by us, message content or health information. You can withdraw this consent at any time by email.

6b. Meta Pixel and Conversions API

Only if you consent to the “Marketing” category do we use the Meta Pixel and the Conversions API of Meta Platforms Ireland Ltd. (4 Grand Canal Square, Dublin 2, Ireland) to measure the effect of our ads on Facebook and Instagram. If you have also ticked the ad-measurement box in the form, we send Meta an event (e.g. “enquiry”) on submission, with your email address, phone number and name in encrypted (hashed) form, plus technical data such as IP address and browser, so that Meta can attribute the enquiry to an ad. We do not send message content or health information. Meta may also use this data for its own purposes; further information: privacycenter.facebook.com

Our website also contains links to Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp. When you click these links, data such as your IP address is transmitted to Meta. We have no influence over the processing carried out there.

6c. Transfers Abroad

Some service providers are based in the USA or process data there. We base such transfers on the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework where the recipient is certified under it, and otherwise on the European Commission's standard contractual clauses as recognised by the FDPIC. It cannot be entirely ruled out that authorities in the recipient country access the data.

We will gladly provide a list of the service providers we use on request: smilehouse@zahnspange-seetal.ch

7. Cookies and Consent

We use necessary cookies so that the website works. Cookies in the “Statistics” and “Marketing” categories are only set once you consent in the cookie banner; until then they are disabled. The same applies to the information on which ad or website brought you to us: we only keep it in your browser's storage once you consent; without consent it lasts only for the current visit. If you submit a form, it is sent along with it. Session cookies are automatically deleted when you close your browser; persistent cookies remain stored for a defined period.

You can change or withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future via the cookie banner (icon or “Cookie settings” link), or delete cookies in your browser settings. Some website functions may not be fully available without cookies.

8. Data Security

Our website is secured with SSL/TLS encryption (recognisable by the “https” and the padlock symbol in your browser's address bar). For confidential medical communication, we additionally offer end-to-end encrypted HIN email (smilehouse@sso-hin.ch). We rely on data minimisation and regular security reviews. However, absolute data security cannot be guaranteed.

9. Your Rights

Based on the Swiss Data Protection Act, you have in particular the right to information about the data we store about you, as well as the right to rectification of inaccurate data.

Please note: medical histories and treatment records are retained for at least 20 years after completion of treatment in accordance with the applicable statutory and professional requirements. There is therefore no entitlement to early deletion of this data.

For questions and to exercise your rights: smilehouse@zahnspange-seetal.ch

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC): www.edoeb.admin.ch

10. Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to websites of other providers. We have no influence over their data protection practices and accept no liability for them.

11. Changes

We may amend this privacy policy at any time without prior notice. The version currently published on our website applies.