Lakeside Orthodontics – St. Paul (formerly Meister Orthodontics)

"I could not be happier with Lakeside Orthodontics. My Invisalign experience was fast, easy, and effective; and they worked within my budget. I am 65+ and was hesitant to go in but I am so happy I did. One of the things that most impressed me was that everyone in the office was sincerely nice. All in all a great experience."

"After five years, I have finally decided to post this review of Dr. Meister’s terrible service. In October 2018, I had an appointment with Dr. Tammy Meister in hopes of getting my teeth straightened and my facial structure fixed. I had a somewhat receding jaw and other features of a mouth-breather, and my hope was to get better teeth and a better look in the end. The session with Dr. Meister was about 30 minutes on that day. I prepared some questions but felt like I was never given opportunities to ask them all or provided with clear answers. All I remember is Dr. Meister selling Invisalign and trying to hustle me into doing the treatment with her. She tried to convince me that it could fix my teeth and straighten them but never gave clear answers to questions about my appearance. Doubtful but somewhat tempted, I agreed to take the Invisalign treatment but requested that we discuss the treatment plan further at the next appointment. Her appointment was so rushed that it felt like she just wanted to get it over with and move on to the next. The next time I met with her was about a month later. Surprisingly, she didn’t prepare to discuss the plan with me but instead had already set up the plan for me! It was an 18-month session for which she had already ordered the aligners from Invisalign. During the treatment, I tried to tell her that we agreed on discussing the plan further, but she asserted the plan was set and it would do me no wrong. Again, doubtful but hopeful, I took her words but insisted that we discuss it further and revise the plan as we proceed. She agreed. For the next six months, I got to see Dr. Meister on appointments once every 30 to 45 days. Each time I tried to discuss the plan and cater it to my needs, she would dismiss it. At one point, she got tired and told me outright that what I wanted was impossible, that I’d have to go through jaw surgery to achieve that result. I didn’t argue with her at that point, but that was the moment I decided to terminate the treatment. I wrote to her via email, and she agreed to refund me about half the money I paid, which was about $2000 out of the $4000 I paid lump sum for the 18-month session. She also made me sign an NDA that stipulated that I should not express my negative feelings against her after the plan terminated. Throughout the six-month treatment with Dr. Meister, I had been reading and researching intensively on orthodontic cases and learned to read the x-ray results and other key components of a treatment plan. I didn’t expect to be treated like an expert but should never be treated like my educated questions didn’t matter. However, all I got from Dr. Meister was gaslighting and rushed sessions. From what I saw, Dr. Meister’s patients were mostly young and white teenagers, and she was always busy and rushed. I wonder if that could partially explain why she couldn’t treat my case professionally for an international student of a different race. For the past five years, I have kept in mind to post this review one day when I know for certain that the treatment goal I had in mind could be reached and had been reached. I now have finished my session with another orthodontist who patiently and carefully discussed plans and revised it along the way. I have my jaw in the right position now with a better look that Dr. Meister’s plan would have never given me. Today, I can honestly give this review that no NDA can stop, that Dr. Meister didn’t professionally treat a patient but instead gaslighted him into paying expensively for a plan that could be best termed as meeting only the minimum requirement. For all the questions she dismissed and the wrong answers she provided to stop me from getting my result (that I needed jaw surgery to get my jaw back to the right position), I say AVOID her service."

"The orthodontist of course is great with children. I want to share that at the Grand Ave location in St Paul, MN, the entire staff and the orthodontist make senior citizens feel very welcomed. My experience with the correcting of my bite was excellent. I highly recommend the new professional; she is exceptional."

"The app with at home scanning is really nice. I get messages very quickly and any issues that I’ve experienced, like an attachment for rubber bands or tray issues, I am able to be seen quickly. Everyone at the clinic is very friendly and kind. The service at the clinic and through the app is personal."

"The staff and Abby were all very friendly, informative, and made the process comfortable and easy to understand! I’ve been through other orthodontist who were unsure or could not give me a definitive answer but Abby was clear and honest about my starting the Invisalign journey!"