Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Yavini Dental Smiles (“we,” “us,” or “our”), the practice of Dr Yavini Naidoo, collects, uses, shares, and protects your personal information when you visit or interact with this website (yndentistry.co.za), including when you book an appointment online.

We are committed to processing your personal information lawfully, in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (“POPIA”) and other applicable South African law. By using this website, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with it, please do not use this website.

1. Who We Are (Responsible Party)

For the purposes of POPIA, the “responsible party” that determines how and why your personal information is processed through this website is Dr Yavini Naidoo (Pty) Ltd (registration number 2018/109030/07), trading as Yavini Dental Smiles.

Our Information Officer is responsible for ensuring our compliance with POPIA and can be reached using the details in Section 15.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide directly

When you complete a form, request or book an appointment, or contact us through this website, you may give us:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• Your preferred appointment date and time
• The service or general reason for your visit
• Any other information you choose to include in a message or form field

2.2 Our online booking system

This website offers an online booking system that lets you request and confirm appointments. When you use it, the information you submit (such as your name, contact details, preferred date and time, and reason for your visit) is stored in a secure database and used to manage your booking. You will typically receive an email confirming or following up on your appointment request.

The booking database and the email confirmation service are provided by third-party platforms that act as our operators under POPIA (see Section 5). These platforms may store or process your information on servers located outside South Africa (see Section 6).

2.3 Information collected automatically

When you visit this website, certain technical information may be collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies, including:

• Your IP address and approximate geographic location
• Your browser type, device type, and operating system
• Pages visited, time spent on the site, and navigation patterns
• The website or source that referred you to this site

2.4 Health information

When you book an appointment, you may choose to tell us the general reason for your visit. Any health-related information you provide is treated as special personal information under POPIA and is given a higher level of protection. Please share only what is reasonably necessary to arrange your appointment — there is no need to submit a detailed medical history through this website. Health information you provide is processed for the purpose of arranging and providing your dental care, in line with the confidentiality obligations described in Section 12, and access to it is restricted to those who need it for that purpose.

3. How We Use Your Information

We process your personal information for the following purposes:

• To receive, manage, and respond to your appointment bookings and requests
• To send you appointment confirmations, reminders, and related follow-ups
• To respond to your enquiries, form submissions, and other communications
• To operate, maintain, and improve this website and our booking system
• To understand how visitors use the site so we can improve its performance
• To comply with our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

We process this information on the lawful bases permitted under POPIA, which include processing that is necessary to take steps you request and to provide the booking service, your consent, our legitimate interests in running the practice, our legal obligations, and — in the case of health information — the grounds that permit a healthcare provider to process such information for your care. You may withdraw consent at any time (see Section 10), although this will not affect processing that has already taken place or processing on another lawful basis.

4. Cookies and Analytics

This website uses cookies and similar technologies to help it function and to understand how it is used.

• Essential cookies are necessary for the basic operation of the site, such as page navigation and the booking system. The site cannot work properly without them.
• Analytics and other non-essential cookies help us understand how visitors interact with the site so we can improve it.

Where the law requires it, we ask for your consent before placing non-essential cookies, through a cookie notice displayed on the site, and you can change your preference at any time. You can also manage or disable cookies through your browser settings, although disabling certain cookies may affect how the site works.

Cookie settings

5. Third-Party Tools and Operators

We use trusted third-party platforms to run this website and our booking system. Under POPIA these providers act as our “operators” — they process personal information only on our behalf and on our instructions, under agreements that require them to keep your information secure and confidential. They include:

• Our website and booking-database provider (Supabase), which securely stores the information submitted through our booking system and contact forms;
• Our email delivery provider (Resend), which sends appointment confirmations and related emails on our behalf;
• Our website analytics provider, which helps us understand how the site is used.

We do not sell your personal information, and these operators are not permitted to use it for their own purposes.

6. Cross-Border Transfers of Information

This website is operated in South Africa. However, some of the operators described in Section 5 — including our booking-database and email providers — may store or process your information on servers located outside South Africa.

Where we transfer personal information across borders, we do so in line with the conditions in Section 72 of POPIA. In particular, the transfer is necessary to provide the booking and communication services you request, and we put in place agreements (such as data processing agreements) that require the recipient to protect your information at a level consistent with POPIA. Where required, we will obtain your consent before such a transfer.

7. Direct Marketing

We will only send you marketing communications, such as newsletters or promotional offers, if you have opted in to receive them, as required by Section 69 of POPIA. You can withdraw your consent or unsubscribe at any time, using the link in our marketing emails or by contacting us.

Appointment confirmations, reminders, and replies to your enquiries are not marketing — they are part of providing the service you have requested, and we send them so that we can manage your booking.

8. Data Retention

We keep personal information collected through this website only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes set out in this Policy, or for as long as required or permitted by law. Booking and appointment information is retained for a reasonable period to manage your care and the practice, and clinical records are retained for the periods required under the National Health Act and HPCSA guidelines. Information that no longer identifies you may be kept indefinitely for analytical purposes.

9. How We Protect Your Information

We apply reasonable technical and organisational safeguards to protect personal information collected through this website against loss, unauthorised access, and misuse, as required by POPIA, and we require our operators to do the same. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security. Where a security compromise affecting your personal information occurs, we will notify you and the Information Regulator as required by law.

10. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under POPIA, you have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you and to ask how it has been used
• Correct or update personal information that is inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, outdated, or incomplete
• Request deletion of personal information where we are no longer entitled to keep it
• Object to the processing of your personal information on reasonable grounds, and to the use of your details for direct marketing
• Withdraw consent previously given, subject to legal or contractual restrictions
• Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator (see Section 13)

To exercise any of these rights, contact our Information Officer using the details in Section 15. We may need to verify your identity before acting on your request, and we will respond within the timeframes required by law.

11. Children’s Privacy

This website is not directed at children. Under POPIA, a child is anyone under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect the personal information of a child without the consent of a parent or legal guardian (a “competent person”). Where a parent or guardian books an appointment for a minor, they do so on the minor’s behalf. If you believe a child has provided personal information through this website without appropriate consent, please contact our Information Officer so we can take appropriate steps.

12. Confidentiality of Patient Information

As a registered healthcare practice (practice number 0422436), we are bound by the ethical rules and guidelines of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) and by the confidentiality and records provisions of the National Health Act 61 of 2003. Clinical and patient information held by the practice is treated as confidential and is managed in accordance with these obligations, in addition to POPIA. Information submitted through this website’s booking system is used to arrange your care and, where appropriate, forms part of your patient record held by the practice.

13. The Information Regulator

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority for data protection in South Africa:

We would, however, appreciate the chance to address your concerns directly before you approach the Regulator — please contact us first.

14. Third-Party Links

This website may contain links to third-party websites, platforms, or services (for example, social media pages, review sites, or mapping services). These are not operated or controlled by us, and their use is governed by their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of third-party websites.

15. How to Contact Us

For any questions about this Privacy Policy, to exercise your rights, or to raise a concern about how your information is handled, please contact:

16. Governing Law

This website is operated in South Africa, and this Privacy Policy is governed by and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the Republic of South Africa.

17. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or in the law. When we make material changes, we will update the “Effective date” above. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically.