Transfer of dental records

If you are joining us from another practice, we can request a copy of your dental history and recent X-rays with your permission.

It is worth doing, and worth doing before your first appointment.

Why it matters

It saves you a repeat X-ray. If you have had radiographs taken elsewhere within a useful period, there is often no clinical reason to take them again. That saves you the cost and avoids an unnecessary radiation exposure, however small.

It shows us change over time. A single set of images shows us your mouth today. Previous records show us what has changed — whether a shadow on a tooth has grown over two years or has been stable for five. That distinction frequently determines whether something needs treating now or watching.

It tells us what has already been done. Which teeth have been root treated, what materials are in your fillings, which teeth have given trouble before, what anaesthetic you have had and how you responded.

It prevents repeated conversations. Your medical history, allergies and past reactions come across with the file.

What a dental record usually contains

Clinical notes from each visit, and the treatment provided
Radiographs and clinical photographs
Your medical history, medications and allergies
Periodontal charting — the gum measurements around each tooth
Treatment plans, quotes and what you consented to
Referral letters and any specialist correspondence
Laboratory prescriptions for crowns, dentures and appliances

The periodontal charting is the part people never think to ask for and the part that most rewards having. Gum measurements only mean something in comparison with earlier ones, and without the history we are starting your baseline from scratch.

How to arrange it

Complete the transfer of records form on this page. It can be signed online through Adobe Acrobat Sign.

Alternatively, download and print the form, then return it to clinic@victoriandentalgroup.com.au.

Our clinic team handles the request from there — we contact your previous practice on your behalf. If you would rather we simply took care of it, call (03) 9088 5808 and we will walk you through it.

What happens, and roughly when

Step	Who	Typical timing
You complete and sign the form	You	Minutes
We send the request to your previous practice	Us	Same or next business day
They locate and prepare the file	Them	Days to a couple of weeks
They send it, sometimes charging a copying fee	Them	—
We add it to your file and your practitioner reviews it	Us	Before your appointment, where it arrives in time

Submit the form as soon as you book, not the night before. The step we do not control is the slowest one.

What you will need

The name and contact details of your previous dental practice
Your details as they were recorded there — particularly if your name has changed
Your signature, since your written consent is what authorises the release

We cannot request your records without your consent. That is a legal requirement, not a formality.

How long it takes

It varies with how quickly the other practice responds — often within days, sometimes longer. Allow a couple of weeks where you can, and submit the form as soon as you have booked rather than the day before your appointment.

If your records have not arrived by the time you come in, we will still see you. Your practitioner will simply take what is clinically necessary on the day.

If the request stalls

Most transfers are straightforward. Where one is not:

Ring them yourself. A patient asking directly often moves faster than a practice-to-practice request
A copying fee is legitimate. Practices may charge a reasonable amount for providing copies
An unpaid account is a separate matter. Your right to access your own health information is not a bargaining chip, however the debt is resolved. If you believe records are being withheld improperly, the Health Complaints Commissioner in Victoria (hcc.vic.gov.au) is who to ask
Ask for what you actually need. If the full file is slow, radiographs and the periodontal chart are the parts that matter most clinically, and are often quicker to send

If the other practice has closed

It happens, and it is not a dead end.

A sold practice usually transfers its records to the new owner. Try the practice at the same address first
A closed practice is required to make arrangements for its records; the practitioner, or a nominated custodian, may still hold them. The Dental Board and AHPRA can sometimes point you to where records went
A practitioner who has moved, and whom you can still find on the AHPRA register, may be contactable at their new practice
If the records genuinely cannot be found, we start fresh. Tell your practitioner what you remember — which teeth have been treated, anything that has given trouble, any difficulty with anaesthetic — and we build from there

Coming from overseas, or interstate

The same principles apply and the timing is usually longer. Interstate practices operate under their own state's health records legislation, which differs in detail but not in substance: your consent releases the file.

From overseas, it is often faster to ask the previous clinic directly and bring what they give you — radiographs on a USB or in an email are perfectly usable. Where nothing is available, say what you know: which teeth have been treated, roughly when, and anything that caused trouble.

What we do with what arrives

Records received from another practice become part of your clinical file here and are handled under the same privacy policy as anything else in it. They are not shared further without your consent, other than where the law requires.

Older radiographs are reviewed rather than simply filed — the comparison is the whole point of asking for them.

Your records here

The same rights work in the other direction.

You are entitled to access your own health information. If you want a copy of your records — to take to another practice, for a second opinion, or simply for yourself — ask us in writing and we will provide it. A reasonable fee may apply for the cost of copying and providing records; we will tell you beforehand if one does.

If you are leaving us, we will send your records to your new practice on your written instruction. We will not make it difficult, and we will not ask you to justify the decision.

We keep records for the period required under Victorian health records legislation, which is longer for children than for adults. See our privacy policy for how your information is handled, stored and disclosed.

If something in your record is wrong — a misspelled name, an out-of-date medical history, an incorrect detail — tell us and we will correct it.

Your rights, in short

To access your own health information
To ask for it to be corrected where it is wrong or out of date
To have it transferred to another practitioner on your instruction
To know how it is stored and who it is disclosed to
To complain, to us first and independently after that — in Victoria, to the Health Complaints Commissioner (hcc.vic.gov.au)

Those rights belong to you regardless of which practice holds the file.

Questions we are asked

Does it cost anything to have records transferred to you? The other practice may charge a fee for providing copies. That is a matter between you and them.

Can you get records without my signature? No. Your written consent is what authorises release.

Will you take new X-rays anyway? Only where the previous ones do not answer the clinical question — because they are too old, do not cover the area, or are not diagnostic. The point of the transfer is to avoid repeating what already exists.

Can I transfer records for my child? Yes, with the consent of a parent or guardian.

Can records be emailed? Practices vary in what they will send and how. Our team will sort out the mechanics with them.

How old can an X-ray be and still be useful? It depends on what is being asked of it. For comparison purposes, older is often better; for a current diagnosis, an image from several years ago usually is not enough on its own.

Do I have to transfer records to change dentists? No. It is helpful, not compulsory, and nobody can be required to do it.

Can I get just my X-rays rather than the whole file? Yes, and it is a reasonable request if you want it dealt with quickly.

Do I need to tell my old practice I am leaving? Not for the transfer to happen — your signed authority is enough. Whether you say anything is entirely up to you.

Victorian Dental Group — 291 Wattletree Road, Malvern East VIC 3145 · (03) 9088 5808 · Monday to Friday, 8:00am–5:00pm · book online

See also contact us, dental X-rays and OPG and our privacy policy.

This page is general information and does not replace advice from a registered dental practitioner about your own circumstances. It is a plain-language summary of how records transfers work and not legal advice. Please see our Disclaimer.

How do I have my records sent from my previous dentist?

Complete the Transfer of Records Form — online, or download and print it — and return it to clinic@victoriandentalgroup.com.au. If you would rather not deal with it yourself, phone reception on (03) 9088 5808 and they will arrange the transfer for you.

Why does it help to transfer my old records?

Previous X-rays, treatment notes and photographs give context that an examination alone cannot — what has been treated before, how a tooth has changed over time, and whether something has been monitored. It can also avoid repeating X-rays unnecessarily. It is worth requesting even if you have not attended the other practice for some years.

How do I get a copy of my own records from Victorian Dental Group?

Ask the practice in writing — phone (03) 9088 5808 or email info@victoriandentalgroup.com.au. You have a right to access your own health information, including X-rays, and a reasonable fee may apply for providing copies. This is the usual route if you are moving away, changing practice, or seeking a second opinion.

What is in a dental record?

Clinical and administrative information: your medical history, examination findings, diagnoses and treatment notes, consent discussions, diagnostic images and radiographs, clinical photographs, correspondence and referrals, and accounts.

How are records stored and kept secure?

Electronic records are held with computer access controls and backup processes. Hard-copy records, where they exist, are kept in locked files with security processes in place. Access is limited to staff who need it for your care.

How long are records kept?

Records may be destroyed after seven years, or in the case of a patient treated as a child, once they reach the age of 25 — in accordance with the applicable legislation. Records are retained for those periods rather than discarded earlier.

What law governs how records are handled?

The Health Records Act 2001 (Vic) and the Privacy Act 1988 (Commonwealth), including the Australian Privacy Principles. Health information is treated as sensitive information, with a higher threshold for use and disclosure.

Who handles records and privacy questions?

Adam Bromage is the Privacy Officer. Direct enquiries, access requests and any concern about how your information has been handled to the practice on (03) 9088 5808 or info@victoriandentalgroup.com.au, marked for the attention of the Privacy Officer.

What if something in my record is wrong?

Tell the practice and ask for it to be corrected — you can request that inaccurate, out-of-date or incomplete information be amended. Where there is disagreement about a clinical entry, you can ask for a statement of your view to be kept with the record. If a privacy concern is not resolved with the practice, the Health Complaints Commissioner in Victoria and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner both accept complaints directly.