Tampa Bay Dental Data Breach Impacts 6,400: Social Security Numbers Exposed

Tampa Bay Dental Implants & Periodontics, a specialty dental practice in the St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay, Florida, area, disclosed a data breach that affected approximately 6,400 individuals in the United States. The practice, which also operates under the name Tampa Bay Dental Implants, Periodontics & Oral Surgery, provides periodontal care, dental implant placement, oral surgery, sedation dentistry and other dental services. It is led by Dr. Robert J. Yu, a board-certified periodontist, and Dr. Robert Chuong.

The breach was reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on March 8, 2026, as well as posted a security notice on its website.

On Jan. 19, 2026, the practice identified a ransomware incident that affected an internal legacy server. An investigation revealed that the affected legacy server contained a backup of the practice's electronic medical records.

The types of information potentially exposed included both personally identifiable information and protected health information. The data may have included names, contact information, dates of birth, clinical history and treatment notes. For certain individuals, Social Security numbers or financial information may also have been involved.

Tampa Bay Dental Implants & Periodontics' response to the breach

For patients with questions about the incident, the practice established a dedicated toll-free phone line. Patients who want to learn whether their information may have been involved can call 1-866-217-5008. The phone line is available 24 hours per day.

The practice's notification did not include an offer of free credit monitoring or identity protection services for affected patients. Because Social Security numbers and financial information were potentially exposed for some individuals, affected patients should consider taking proactive steps on their own to watch for possible fraud and identity theft.

Steps to take if your information was exposed

• Place a fraud alert or credit freeze with Equifax (1-800-525-6285), Experian (1-888-397-3742) and TransUnion (1-800-680-7289) to help prevent unauthorized accounts from being opened.
• Request free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com and review them carefully for any accounts, credit inquiries or other activity that looks unfamiliar.
• Review Explanation of Benefits statements from health insurers for any medical services or claims not actually received, which could be a sign of medical identity theft.
• Monitor bank and financial accounts closely for unauthorized charges or withdrawals, especially if Social Security numbers or financial information may have been part of the exposed data.
• Be cautious of phishing attempts that reference Tampa Bay Dental Implants & Periodontics or this breach by name, as scammers sometimes use real data breaches to trick people into sharing even more personal information.
• Report suspected identity theft to the Federal Trade Commission at IdentityTheft.gov if any signs of fraud or misuse are detected.