How We Handle Your Data
Updated October 2026. Below is what we record about you, why we record it, and the rights you have over that information.
Who Controls Your Information
The data controller for your personal information is Lanark Smile Studios, of 72 High Street, Lanark ML11 7ES. Put simply, the decisions about how your information is used are ours, and so is the duty to protect it.
Data controller: Lanark Smile Studios Ltd, registered in Scotland, company number SC823879. Registered office: Cornerstone House, Station Road, Selkirk TD7 5DJ. ICO registration number ZC092862.
What We Record
Registering with us, or getting in touch, means we take down your name, date of birth, address, phone number and email address. Because we look after your teeth, your file also holds clinical details: your medical history, X-rays, CT scans and digital scans of your teeth, notes from each examination, clinical photographs, your treatment plans and estimates, and a record of payments.
Anything you send us, whether by email, WhatsApp, social media or a form on this site, is kept. Messages sent through a social media platform are also covered by that company's own privacy policy.
Why We Use It
Data protection law lets a healthcare provider use the information it needs for your care without asking for separate consent, and that covers most of the above. For anything that does depend on your consent, such as using a photograph of your smile, you can withdraw it whenever you like.
Dentally and Online Booking
We keep your records in Dentally, our practice management software, which runs our appointments, clinical notes, X-rays and payments. Dentally holds the data securely on our behalf and acts on it only as we instruct.
Our online booking portal is also part of Dentally, so the details you enter when you book are added directly to your record.
Who Else Sees It
We pass on information only where your care or a legal duty calls for it, and we limit it to what is necessary. Examples are NHS Scotland, when we claim for NHS treatment; the dental laboratory that makes your crown, denture or aligners; and a dentist or hospital we refer you to. Personal information is never sold, and it is never given to others to use for their own marketing.
Your Photos and Messages
Photos and messages you send us become part of your clinical record: we save them to your Dentally file, then delete them from the messaging app. We will only show a picture of you on our website or social media with your separate written permission, and you can withdraw that permission.
How Long It's Kept
We hold dental records for as long as NHS Scotland's records guidance and our professional bodies require, and that applies after you have left the practice too. Where someone contacts us but does not go on to register, we delete the details of their enquiry.
The Rights You Have
You can ask for a copy of the information we hold on you, and for anything inaccurate to be corrected. In certain circumstances you may also ask us to erase information or to restrict how we use it. Send any request to the practice manager, by post to the address above or by email to info@lanarksmilestudios.co.uk.
You also have the right to complain to the UK regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ico.org.uk), if you think we have not handled your data properly.