Bright Smile Dental Care, Ltd. (“Bright Smile”) recently became aware of a security incident that may have involved the personal information of some patients. While we have no evidence that any of our patients’ information was misused, we are providing this notice to explain the incident, the types of information involved, our investigation and response, and recommendations to help individuals protect their information.
Description of the Incident and Information Involved
On August 3, 2026, Bright Smile discovered ransomware on its server which affected its practice management and patient record software and its dental imaging software. Bright Smile immediately engaged cybersecurity consultants to assess the nature of the incident and mitigate its impact. Despite the ransomware, our investigation determined that the threat actor would likely not have been able to view or acquire any of the data, as all data on the server was encrypted. Therefore, while we are providing this notice out of an abundance of caution, we believe that there is a low likelihood that any of the data was viewed or otherwise compromised.
The information potentially involved in the incident included names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, phone numbers, insurance information, information about dependents, health information, and in some cases, social security numbers. However, the affected data was encrypted and there is no indication that the threat actor possessed the encryption keys necessary to view the underlying data. In addition, patients’ financial information was not impacted.
Our Response and Credit Monitoring
Bright Smile is in the process of mailing written notices to all potentially impacted individuals with available contact information. Data privacy and security are among our highest priorities, and we are committed to protecting our patients’ personal information. We are implementing additional safeguards and reviewing and updating our internal policies and procedures related to the privacy and security of personal information. We are also notifying national consumer reporting agencies to make them aware of the matter.
In addition, we are offering free access to credit monitoring services through TransUnion for individuals whose social security number may have been involved. Individuals should refer to the notice they will receive in the mail for instructions on how to enroll in the credit monitoring services at no charge.
What Individuals Can Do
To protect against potential fraud and/or identity theft, we encourage individuals to remain vigilant by reviewing account statements and credit reports. Individuals can also obtain more information from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about identity theft and ways to protect yourself. The FTC has an identity theft hotline: 877-438-4338; TTY: 1-866-653-4261. They also provide information on-line at www.ftc.gov/idtheft.
We urge individuals whose social security number may have been involved to enroll in free credit monitoring using the instructions provided in the individual notice letter they will receive. Any individual may also independently obtain a credit report, place a credit freeze, or place a fraud alert as described below:
If you choose to place a fraud alert on your own, you will need to contact one of the three major credit agencies directly at:
Experian (1-888-397-3742)
P.O. Box 4500
Allen, TX 75013
www.experian.com
Equifax (1-800-525-6285)
P.O. Box 740241
Atlanta, GA 30374
www.equifax.com
TransUnion (1-800-680-7289)
P.O. Box 2000
Chester, PA 19016
www.transunion.com
Also, should you wish to obtain a credit report and monitor it on your own:
IMMEDIATELY obtain free copies of your credit report and monitor them upon receipt for any suspicious activity. You can obtain your free copies by going to the following website: www.annualcreditreport.com or by calling them toll-free at 1-877-322-8228. (Hearing impaired consumers can access their TDD service at 1-877-730-4204).
Upon receipt of your credit report, we recommend that you review it carefully for any suspicious activity.
Be sure to promptly report any suspicious activity to Bright Smile.
More Information
If you are a current or former Bright Smile patient and did not receive a notice or believe you may have been impacted by this incident, please call 877-871-0436 (toll free) or email Bright Smile at brightsmiledentalcare@hotmail.com.
