PRIVACY POLICY

1. Who We Are

Gums & Gossip™ is a podcast, media, and wellness education platform founded by Hope Loyd, a licensed registered dental hygienist with over 30 years of clinical experience. Our mission is to humanize dental care, reduce dental fear, and support overall wellness through storytelling, education, coaching, and professional community.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact us, complete forms, or use our services.

2. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly:

• Name, email address, and contact details submitted through our inquiry forms (guest applications, brand features, collaboration requests)

• Messages or information you share when contacting us

• Professional information (dental practice, business type, credentials) when applying to be a featured guest or partner

• Payment information when purchasing services or products (processed through secure third-party payment processors — we do not store card data)

Information Collected Automatically:

• IP address, browser type, and device information

• Pages visited, time spent on site, and referring URLs

• Cookie data and analytics through third-party tools (such as Google Analytics or similar)

Information from Third Parties:

• Lead connector and form data processed through LeadConnectorHQ (our website platform)

• Social media interactions if you connect with us through Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, or YouTube

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Respond to inquiries, form submissions, and collaboration requests

• Schedule and coordinate podcast guest appearances and brand features

• Send relevant communications, updates, or newsletters (with your consent)

• Improve our website content and user experience

• Process transactions and deliver services

• Comply with legal obligations

We do not sell your personal information to third parties. Ever.

Health & Wellness Information — Special Notice

Gums & Gossip™ discusses dental health, dental fear/anxiety, and general wellness topics. Content on this website is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, dental, or mental health advice.

• Hope Loyd is a licensed dental hygienist sharing general wellness information, not providing patient care through this platform.

• If you share personal health experiences through our forms or communications, this information is treated with the utmost confidentiality and is never shared without your explicit consent.

• If you are experiencing a dental or mental health emergency, please contact a licensed healthcare provider or call 988 (Mental Health Crisis Lifeline) or 911.

5. Cookies & Tracking

Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. These may include:

• Essential cookies — required for the site to function

• Analytics cookies — help us understand how visitors use our site (e.g., Google Analytics)

• Marketing cookies — may be used by third-party integrations for retargeting

You can control cookie settings through your browser. Disabling certain cookies may limit website functionality.

6. Third-Party Services

Our website integrates with the following third-party platforms, each with their own privacy policies:

• LeadConnectorHQ / HighLevel — website hosting and forms

• Google Analytics — site analytics

• Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube)

• Payment processors (if applicable)

• Email marketing platforms (if applicable)

We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third parties. We encourage you to review their policies independently.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected, or as required by law. You may request deletion of your information at any time by contacting [email protected].

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you

• Correct inaccurate information

• Request deletion of your data

• Opt out of marketing communications at any time

• Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

California Residents (CCPA): You have the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to delete it, and the right to opt-out of its sale (we do not sell data). Contact us to submit a request.

9. Children’s Privacy

Gums & Gossip™ is not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us immediately.

10. Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, loss, or disclosure. However, no method of internet transmission is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Continued use of the site after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

This document was last updated: April 22, 2026.