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Terms of Service

Last updated: June 18, 2026

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) govern your use of SPOCS Orthodontics’ web chat widget and SMS messaging program (collectively, the “Service”). By using the Service, you agree to these Terms.

1. Eligibility

The Service is intended for use by adults (18 or older). A parent or legal guardian may use the Service on behalf of a minor patient, and by doing so confirms they are authorized to provide that minor’s information and to schedule care for that minor. The Service is not directed to, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from, children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us information without a parent or guardian’s involvement, contact us using the information in Section 12 and we will delete it. How we handle minors’ information is described in our Privacy Policy.

2. Description of the Service

The Service provides general information about SPOCS Orthodontics, helps with appointment scheduling, and delivers optional assessments such as the Smile Assessment and the TMJ Self-Assessment. The Service uses artificial intelligence to generate responses. AI responses are not a substitute for professional advice, clinical consultation, or examination by a licensed clinician.

If you ask to speak to a person during a chat session, or if the AI decides your question is better handled by a human, a SPOCS staff member may join the chat. When this happens, the chat will display a notice identifying the staff member who joined (for example, “A SPOCS team member joined the chat”), and that staff member can read the full prior conversation. All staff actions within the chat (joining, sending messages, leaving) are recorded in our internal audit log. See the Privacy Policy for details on how chat content is handled and retained.

3. Not medical advice

The Service is for informational and scheduling purposes only. It is not a medical, dental, or orthodontic consultation, diagnosis, or recommendation. Do not rely on the Service for medical emergencies. If you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. For urgent clinical questions, call SPOCS directly at (727) 242-8000 during business hours.

4. Accuracy of information

While we train and test the Service on approved knowledge about SPOCS, the Service may occasionally produce responses that are incomplete or inaccurate. Please verify any clinical, pricing, or insurance information with our staff before relying on it. If you believe the Service has given you incorrect information, call (727) 242-8000 so we can correct it.

5. SMS Terms

SPOCS operates two distinct SMS programs. Each is sent from a different phone number and serves a different audience.

5.1 Patient transactional SMS

  • Audience. Patients and prospective patients who provide a phone number to our AI receptionist.
  • Consent. You consent to receive SMS from SPOCS Orthodontics when you voluntarily provide your phone number during a chat for the purpose of receiving an appointment confirmation. Consent is not a condition of receiving care or any other service.
  • Message types. Transactional only — appointment confirmations and appointment-related follow-ups. No marketing or promotional SMS.
  • Frequency. Message frequency varies. Typically one message per booked appointment.
  • Sample message. “Hi Alex, this is Marina from SPOCS Orthodontics. Your consultation with Dr. Mansour is confirmed for Tue, May 19 at 2:00 PM. Confirmation #ABC123. Reply STOP to opt out.”
  • Opt-out. Reply STOP to unsubscribe at any time. You will receive a final confirmation and no further messages from this program unless you opt back in.
  • Help. Reply HELP for support.
  • Fees. Message and data rates may apply, according to your mobile carrier plan.
  • Supported carriers. US mobile carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and their MVNO resellers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
  • Sender. Sent via AWS End User Messaging from a separate, dedicated SPOCS patient-messaging number — distinct from the SPOCS practice line and from the number used for staff sign-in codes.

5.2 Staff multi-factor authentication (MFA) SMS

  • Program. SPOCS Orthodontics — “Marina Admin verification codes.” One-time passcodes delivered to authorized SPOCS staff when they sign in to the internal administrative dashboard. Patients and the public are never enrolled.
  • How you opt in (express consent). Consent is collected as a separate, explicit opt-in at the moment a staff member adds a mobile number as a verification method — it is not granted by agreeing to these Terms or by using the Service. At that step the staff member is shown the program’s purpose, message frequency, “message and data rates may apply,” the STOP and HELP instructions, and links to our Privacy Policy and these Terms, and must affirmatively check a consent box before any message is sent.
  • Optional — never required. Receiving these text messages is optional and is never required to use the dashboard or as a condition of employment; a time-based authenticator app (TOTP) is the alternative second factor.
  • Message types. One-time sign-in verification codes only — no marketing, no promotional content, and no third-party content.
  • Frequency. Sent only at sign-in or re-verification — typically zero to three messages per staff member per day.
  • Sample message. “Your Marina Admin verification code is 123456. It expires in 10 minutes. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Msg & data rates may apply.”
  • How you opt out. Reply STOP to the verification number at any time to stop all messages — for our toll-free number, opt-out is processed at the carrier level via the STOP keyword. Staff may also remove the number or disable SMS verification in their account, in which case TOTP becomes the required second factor. Opt-out requests are honored immediately.
  • Help. Reply HELP for support.
  • Fees. Message and data rates may apply.
  • Supported carriers. US mobile carriers — AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, and their MVNO resellers. Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
  • Sender. Sent via AWS End User Messaging from a SPOCS-owned toll-free number dedicated to staff authentication. The number is used exclusively to deliver sign-in codes and never contacts patients or customers.
  • No third-party sharing. Enrolled mobile numbers are stored in Amazon Cognito, used solely to deliver sign-in codes, and are never shared or sold to any third party.

6. Acceptable use

You agree not to:

  • Misrepresent your identity or impersonate another person.
  • Use the Service for any unlawful, fraudulent, or harmful purpose.
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer, disrupt, or compromise the Service.
  • Use the Service to harass or abuse our staff or other users.
  • Submit automated requests or attempt to scrape the Service.

7. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which explains what we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

8. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE.

9. Limitation of liability

TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SPOCS ORTHODONTICS AND ITS AFFILIATES WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE. IN NO EVENT WILL OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO SPOCS FOR THE SERVICE IN THE TWELVE MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO THE CLAIM, OR (B) ONE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($100) — AND IN NO EVENT MORE THAN FIVE HUNDRED US DOLLARS ($500). SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF CERTAIN DAMAGES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. NOTHING IN THESE TERMS LIMITS LIABILITY THAT CANNOT BE LIMITED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW, INCLUDING LIABILITY FOR GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OR PERSONAL INJURY.

10. Changes to the Service or these Terms

We may modify or discontinue all or part of the Service at any time. We may also update these Terms from time to time; material updates will be posted on this page with a new “Last updated” date. Continued use of the Service after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

11. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Florida, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Pinellas County, Florida, and you consent to the jurisdiction of those courts.

12. Contact us

SPOCS Orthodontics
3200 4th St N, St. Petersburg, FL 33704
Phone: (727) 242-8000
Email: info@spocsorthodontics.com