Get Real Answers Before You Agree to Anything
You have a question about your teeth and no clear way to get it answered. A virtual dental second opinion connects you with a biological dentist by secure video. Dr. Carla Yamashiro has practiced integrative dentistry for 23 years. She leads Ecologic Dentistry in Bonney Lake, Washington. She holds an Integrative Biologic Dental Medicine Certificate and a Naturopathic Physician Certificate. Her practice is dentistry, and that additional training shapes how she approaches it.
The fear underneath this is real and worth naming out loud. You worry about agreeing to work you never needed. You worry nobody will explain the whole picture first. Your mouth is a reflection of your whole body, and we treat you accordingly. That standard holds whether you sit in a chair or on a screen. You leave knowing what is happening and what to do next.
What is a virtual dental visit?
A virtual dental visit is a live video appointment with Dr. Yamashiro. It comes in two forms. A Virtual Consultation is a conversation, where you describe your situation and she answers your questions. A Virtual Problem-Focused Exam goes further. She reviews your x-rays, your photos, or your mouth on camera.
The difference matters for what she can tell you. Talking alone produces guidance and options. Looking at something specific lets her assess it and, within limits, reach a diagnosis. Those limits are real, since a screen never matches what she sees with instruments in hand. She will tell you plainly when a question needs a chair.
Can a dentist diagnose a problem over video?
Often yes, with limits stated up front. When Dr. Yamashiro reviews your x-rays or looks at a tooth on camera, that is an examination. She can identify many problems and explain what she sees. She tells you what treatment the situation calls for. Some findings need instruments, and she will say so rather than guess.
Washington permits this, and insurance recognizes it. Claims carry a teledentistry code alongside a procedure code. That code covers a consultation, a problem-focused exam, or radiograph interpretation. That structure exists because remote examination is established care. Knowing where the boundary sits is what separates an honest provider from a careless one.
What kinds of questions can a virtual visit answer?
Most calls fall into two groups. Some people hold a treatment plan and want another perspective on it. Others have something specific happening and want to know what it is. Both work well over video, and both are common here. Below are the questions that come up most often.
- I was told I need a root canal, is that true
- My child has swollen tonsils and was told they need surgery
- I see brown spots on my teeth, is that a cavity
- I chipped a tooth and cannot tell how serious it is
- My tooth aches after a filling and I want to know why
- We brush and floss and my child still gets cavities
- I was told my child has eight cavities, is that right
- I am pregnant and have gum swelling that keeps coming back
- I am considering an implant and want to know if it fits my case
Mercury fillings come up constantly too, and safe removal has its own protocol. Implants come up often, and she has plenty to say without placing them herself. Whether an implant suits your situation. Whether you have the space. How close the site sits to your sinus. Whether your bite needs correcting first, because occlusion determines how long an implant lasts.
“When I think about it, I don’t know how I took the pain. My jaw pain has reduced, facial imbalance is better, and there is less droopiness in my facial appearance. My orthotic helps a lot. There is less pressure on the side we are working on. On top of that, deep breathing practice has also helped. Both made a big difference. They worked out perfectly together.”
Which type of virtual visit do you need?
You do not have to decide before you call. Our team asks a few questions and routes you correctly. Most people are surprised by how much a conversation alone can settle. Others need eyes on a specific tooth and go straight to an exam. What follows shows how the three options differ in practice.
|
Virtual Consultation |
Virtual Problem-Focused Exam |
In-Office Visit |
|
|
What happens |
Conversation only |
X-rays, photos, or your mouth on camera |
Hands-on examination |
|
Diagnosis |
Guidance and options |
Possible, within stated limits |
Full |
|
New imaging taken |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Treatment performed |
No |
No |
Yes |
|
Best for |
Understanding your choices |
One tooth or one symptom |
Anything needing treatment |
Cost varies by which one your situation calls for. Payment is due at the time of scheduling. After the visit you receive documentation you can submit to your insurance company. Whether they reimburse you is a decision your carrier makes, not one we control. Our team can walk you through the paperwork when you call.
What happens after your virtual visit?
You leave with a clear next step, and it does not have to involve this office. She can tell you what kind of work you need and what type of dentist does it. Dr. Yamashiro can send a letter of her findings back to your own dentist. She can point you toward a provider in your area. She can direct you to iaomt.org, where you can search for a credentialed dentist near you.
Sometimes the answer is that nothing needs doing right now. Sometimes it is that a problem needs attention sooner than you thought. Sometimes you decide the drive to Bonney Lake is worth making. All three are legitimate endings, and none of them requires becoming a patient here.
What should you send before your appointment?
Send what you have after booking, using the secure instructions you receive. Four things help most, and sending them early protects your appointment time. Dr. Yamashiro reads everything beforehand rather than opening files while you wait. Preparation is what turns a brief call into a useful one.
- Recent x-rays or CBCT scans if you have them
- Any treatment plan you have already been given
- Your medical and dental history
- Photos of the tooth or area that concerns you
During the visit she may ask you to hold the camera closer. She explains findings in ordinary language instead of clinical abbreviations. Nothing gets recommended without the reasoning behind it. You are talking with someone who assumes you have already done reading of your own.
Talk With a Biological Dentist in Bonney Lake
Before You Decide
Dr. Carla Yamashiro has practiced for 23 years. She has treated children who are now in college. She holds an Integrative Biologic Dental Medicine Certificate and a Naturopathic Physician Certificate. Her practice is dentistry, and that additional training shapes how she approaches it. She trained with the American College of Integrative Medicine and Dentistry. Patients reach her from the Olympic Peninsula, north of Seattle, and south through Olympia and Lacey. Her approach to biocompatible materials shapes every recommendation she makes. She explains before she recommends, every time.
Dr. Yamashiro sees patients anywhere in Washington by video. You must be physically located in the state during your appointment. Where you live does not matter. Call Ecologic Dentistry at (253) 863-7005 and our professional team will find you a time. You can also visit ecologicdentistry.com to request one online. Bring your records and bring your questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be in Washington during my appointment?
Yes. You must be physically inside Washington while the appointment happens. You do not need to live here. This comes from dental licensure rules rather than practice preference. Dentists must be licensed where the patient receives care, according to the ADA policy on teledentistry. A patient visiting family in Spokane qualifies. A patient sitting at home in Portland does not.
Is a virtual visit covered by dental insurance?
Coverage varies by plan and most plans treat virtual visits differently than office visits. Payment is due at the time of scheduling. Afterward you receive documentation carrying the teledentistry code and the procedure code for your visit. You submit that to your carrier. Our team can answer questions about fees and paperwork when you call.
What if I do not have recent x-rays?
Book anyway, because a conversation still helps. Without images the visit stays a consultation rather than an exam. Your current dentist can release copies of anything already taken, usually within a few business days. Imaging follows clinical judgment rather than fixed schedules. That principle is set out in federal guidance on dental radiograph selection. New images require an office, wherever you choose to have them taken.
Do I have to become a patient here?
No, and many people never do. Some live too far to make the drive practical. Others want an answer and a direction rather than a new dentist. Dr. Yamashiro can write to your current dentist or help you find a credentialed provider closer to home. The visit is worth having either way.
Can we discuss replacing my mercury fillings?
Yes, and it comes up frequently. We cover what safe removal involves and why protocol matters throughout. Federal regulators now advise certain groups to avoid new amalgam placement. Those groups include young children and people with impaired kidney function. The detail sits in the FDA position on dental amalgam fillings. Whether removal suits you depends on your health history and your existing restorations.
OR Call (253) 863-7005
18008 State Route 410 East, Suite A
Bonney Lake, WA 98391
Dr. Carla Yamashiro, The Holistic Dentist
Ecologic Dentistry, PLLC
Voted one of Seattle's Top Dentists seven years in a row
