Quality Orthodontic Care in Minneapolis, MN
Meister Orthodontics provides expert family orthodontic care, serving St. Paul and Minneapolis, MN, as well as the surrounding Twin Cities areas. Dr. Tammy Meister and our friendly staff help patients achieve a healthy and beautiful smile. Our office utilizes the latest technology and appliances, and we offer a variety of braces and Invisalign options to fit your treatment needs. We are dedicated to continually improving our already rigid sterilization standards in order to eliminate the possibility of disease transmission for both patients and staff at our office. Safety is always a top priority and we want to educate patients about our heightened office sterilization standards.
CDC Recommended Sterilization Standards
Infection prevention is an essential part of patient safety in all clinical settings. In dental and orthodontist offices cleaning and sterilization of reusable instruments is critical for infection prevention, helping prevent patient-to-patient and/or patient-to-staff transmission. During COVID-19, this is even more critical. The CDC has shared that sterilization protocols do not vary for respiratory pathogens, and that standard guidelines for infection control in dental health care settings should be followed. This is good news—as we resume routine patient care, our office sterilization standards will continue to ensure the safety of both patients and staff!
Current Office Safety Protocols
We want to make patients aware of safety standards already in place at our office.
- We’ve closed all public spaces and ask all patients to text us upon arrival and wait in your vehicle.
- No visitors are allowed in the office, only the patient (except for extreme circumstances).
- We follow all social distancing guidelines— we maintain 6 or more feet apart at all times, directional markers are set up throughout the office, and equipment is properly spaced with Plexiglass barriers.
- Masks are required upon entering and exiting, and patients can only remove them when instructed.
- Temperature checks and health screenings are taken for all staff and patients prior to admittance.
- Increased hand sanitation is required of all patients, and continues to be practiced by all our staff.
- All staff wear required PPE according to their role. Front desk staff are required to wear masks, are seated behind Plexiglass barriers, have very limited contact with patients, and we attempt to have scheduling and payment interactions conducted via text or email.
- Aerosol producing procedures are limited to certain areas of the office and are mitigated with high speed evacuation. For other procedures, orthodontic hand pieces are normally low speed and do not use water or pressurized air, helping to further limit aerosol production.
- Virtual visits are scheduled when possible to limit the number of patients in the office.
- All surfaces are cleaned with the highest-level of recommended disinfectants throughout the day.
- All instruments are disinfected at the highest-rated sterilization standards, and our sterilizers have been updated in the last year as part of our commitment to quality in infection control.
- In February 2020 our office completed a seminar in Sterilization, Infection Prevention, and OSHA Safety, as part of our annual re-training, helping our response and preparedness for COVID-19.
Safety continues to be a top priority, and we want to address any concerns you may have about visiting our office. We also want to encourage patients to keep up with regular checkup appointments, avoid damaging foods, and stay dedicated to your regular oral hygiene routine in order to keep your teeth healthy and to avoid common problems or emergencies between visits.
Contact Us for Braces or Invisalign in Minneapolis, MN!
If you have any other questions or concerns, Meister Orthodontics is here to help! You can contact us directly at (651) 699-2013, via email, or you can request a consultation with our easy online form. We can’t wait to help you achieve a healthy new smile today!