Privacy Policy

Effective date: May 9, 2026 · Last updated: May 9, 2026

Inspire Dental Wellness (“we,” “us,” or “our”) is a dental practice owned and operated by Erica Zolnierczyk, DMD, located at 14512 John Humphrey Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect information when you visit inspiredentalwellness.com (the “Site”) and when you contact us about our dental services.

This policy covers information you share through the Site and our online forms. Information you share with us during in-office visits, treatment, or as a patient of record is governed separately by our Notice of Privacy Practices under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). The Notice of Privacy Practices is provided at your first appointment and is available on request.

Two privacy frameworks apply

When you use the Site, this Privacy Policy applies. When you become a patient and we collect health information for your care, HIPAA and the separate Notice of Privacy Practices apply. The two work together — this Site policy is the front door; HIPAA governs the patient relationship.

What information we collect

Information you provide directly

When you submit a form on the Site, contact us by phone or email, or request information about our services, we collect:

Name and contact information (email address, phone number, mailing address)
Information you provide about why you’re contacting us — for example, the reason for an appointment request, a question about a procedure, or feedback about your visit
Information you provide on patient intake forms or via secure forms.dental links (this information becomes part of your patient record once you become a patient)

Information collected automatically

When you visit the Site, certain information is collected automatically by us and by third-party services we use:

Log data — your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, the pages you view, the time and date of your visit, and the page you came from
Cookies and similar technologies — small data files stored on your device that help the Site function and measure traffic. You can disable cookies in your browser settings, though some Site features may not work without them.
Tracking pixels — see the next section for details about the Meta (Facebook) Pixel and other tracking technologies we use for advertising and analytics.

Tracking technologies and online advertising

We use the following technologies on the Site:

Cloudflare Analytics — measures aggregate Site performance and traffic patterns. Does not identify individual visitors.
Meta (Facebook) Pixel and Conversions API — tracks visits to specific pages and form submissions so we can measure the effectiveness of our Facebook and Instagram advertising. The Pixel may collect your IP address, browser data, and information about which pages you visited on our Site. The Conversions API is a server-side complement that helps Meta deduplicate events.
Google Analytics or similar — if active, used to understand aggregate Site usage. Configured to anonymize IP addresses where supported.

Important — for visitors and patients

We have configured these tracking technologies to avoid transmitting Protected Health Information (PHI) to advertising platforms. We do not knowingly send the contents of patient intake forms, appointment-request details, or any health-related text you submit on the Site to Meta, Google, or other advertising vendors.

If you would prefer that no advertising-related tracking occur on your visit, most browsers offer “Do Not Track” or private-browsing settings, and Meta provides ad-preference controls in your account at facebook.com/adpreferences. You can also use browser extensions that block tracking pixels.

How we use your information

We use the information we collect to:

Respond to your inquiries and schedule appointments
Provide patient care and follow-up communication
Send appointment reminders and post-visit information
Process insurance claims and payment (with your authorization, where required)
Improve the Site, our services, and patient experience
Measure the effectiveness of our advertising
Comply with legal, regulatory, and professional obligations

How we share information

We do not sell your information. We share it only as necessary to operate the practice or as required by law. The categories of recipients are:

Service providers who help us operate the Site, the practice management system, our patient communication tools, our forms platform, our payment processor, and our advertising vendors. These providers are contractually required to protect your information.
Other healthcare providers we coordinate with for your care — for example, a sleep medicine physician, oral surgeon, myofunctional therapist, or specialist — when you authorize the referral.
Insurance carriers when you authorize us to verify benefits, file claims, or coordinate coverage on your behalf. Inspire Dental Wellness is out-of-network with all dental plans; we may still assist with benefits review, claim documentation, or pre-determination at your request.
Financing partners if you elect third-party financing through CareCredit. Applications are submitted directly to CareCredit; we do not retain the application data.
Government and regulatory bodies when required by law, subpoena, court order, or in response to a valid request from a public authority.
Mobile / SMS opt-in data is never shared with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. See the SMS / Text Messaging section below.

SMS / Text Messaging

If you provide your mobile number and check the optional SMS consent box on one of our forms, you are opting in to receive text messages from Inspire Dental Wellness about your inquiry — a confirmation that we received your request, and follow-up communication from our office about scheduling or your question.

Consent is optional. Checking the SMS box is not a condition of any service or purchase. You can contact us or become a patient without opting in to text messages.
Message frequency varies based on your interaction with us.
Message and data rates may apply, depending on your mobile carrier and plan.
To opt out, reply STOP to any message; you will receive a single confirmation and no further texts unless you opt in again. For help, reply HELP or call (708) 460-6699.
We do not share mobile opt-in information or SMS consent with third parties or affiliates for their marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile information collected for text messaging is used solely by Inspire Dental Wellness to communicate with you about your inquiry and care.
Message delivery is subject to your mobile carrier; carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.

HIPAA, your rights as a patient, and how to file a complaint

If you are a patient of the practice, your protected health information (PHI) is governed by HIPAA. Under HIPAA, you have rights including:

The right to inspect and obtain a copy of your medical records
The right to request a correction or amendment to your records
The right to request restrictions on certain uses and disclosures
The right to receive an accounting of certain disclosures we have made
The right to receive a paper copy of our Notice of Privacy Practices
The right to file a complaint without retaliation

To exercise any of these rights, contact our office. To file a complaint about how we handled your protected health information, you may contact us first or file directly with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights:

By web: hhs.gov/ocr/complaints
By phone: 1-800-368-1019
By mail: Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 200 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20201

Data retention

We retain Site form submissions and inquiry data for as long as needed to respond to you and complete the purpose for which the information was collected, after which it is archived or deleted in accordance with our records-retention policy. Patient health records are retained according to Illinois state law and applicable HIPAA requirements.

Data security

We use commercially reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect your information. The Site is served over HTTPS. Patient health information is stored in HIPAA-compliant systems. Despite these efforts, no method of internet transmission or electronic storage is perfectly secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

Children’s privacy

Note for parents and guardians

Inspire Dental Wellness treats infants, children, and teens. When a parent or guardian contacts us about a child’s care, we collect information about the child as needed to schedule and provide treatment. We do not market the Site directly to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 outside the context of a parent or guardian initiating care for that child.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have collected information from your child improperly, please contact us and we will delete it.

California residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), including the right to know what personal information we collect, the right to request deletion, and the right not to be discriminated against for exercising your rights. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us using the information below.

Links to other websites

The Site may contain links to third-party websites — for example, our Google Business Profile, Facebook page, Instagram, YouTube, professional organizations we belong to, or partner organizations like The Breathe Institute or The Centre for Integrative Orthodontics. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those third parties. We encourage you to read their privacy policies.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will post any changes on this page and update the “Last updated” date above. Material changes will be communicated through the Site. Your continued use of the Site after changes are posted means you accept the revised policy.

Contact us

For questions about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise any rights described here:

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (708) 460-6699
Mail: Inspire Dental Wellness, Attn: Privacy Officer, 14512 John Humphrey Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462