Our doctors

Three clinicians. Every case reviewed more than once.

We're deliberately small. Every new patient sees the full team over their first year — so complex cases get a second set of eyes without an outside referral.

Founder

Dr. Elena Marsh

DDS · FAGD · General & Restorative

Dr. Marsh founded Vantara Dental in 2020 after a decade inside larger, insurance-led practices. She wanted a clinic where treatment planning was done out loud, not in the back office. She's still the first person most new patients meet.

Her clinical focus is adult restorative care and long-horizon treatment planning — the work of taking a mouth from "we'll monitor this" to "this is stable and we're done here." She teaches Spear alumni continuing-education days twice a year and still reviews every complex plan in the practice on a Friday afternoon.

Credentials & training

DDS, UT Health San Antonio School of Dentistry, 2010
Fellow, Academy of General Dentistry (FAGD), 2017
Spear Education — Restorative Design & Occlusion, ongoing
Kois Center — Diagnosis & Treatment Planning alumni
16 years in private practice · 3,000+ restorative cases

Dr. Elena Marsh, DDS, FAGD — Founder of Vantara Dental

Cosmetic & alignment lead

Dr. Julian Keita

DDS · MSD · Cosmetic & Alignment

Dr. Keita joined Vantara in 2022 to lead cosmetic and alignment. He's an AACD-track clinician with a master's in prosthodontics and an Invisalign Diamond-level provider — meaning he treats enough aligner cases per year to see the edge cases most practices never encounter.

His approach to cosmetic work is deliberately restrained. He'd rather you hear "you look rested" than "your teeth look perfect." Most of his veneer work involves four to eight units, never the full smile-makeover kit. He'll talk you out of veneers if alignment plus a polish will get you there.

Credentials & training

DDS, UCLA School of Dentistry, 2014
MSD in Prosthodontics, University of Washington, 2017
Invisalign Diamond Provider (400+ cases / year)
AACD Accredited Member candidate
LVI Core Aesthetic Curriculum alumnus
9 years focused practice · 1,200+ alignment cases

Preventive & anxiety-aware care

Dr. Amaya Nakamura

DDS · DOCS Sedation Certified

Dr. Nakamura leads our anxious-patient program and our Precision Visit protocol. She joined Vantara in 2023 after six years in a Seattle practice built specifically for patients with dental anxiety and past trauma.

Her first rule is that patients don't need to earn comfort. Nitrous, stop signals, noise-damped headsets, longer numbing windows — all default, not upgrades. She's DOCS-certified in minimal oral sedation and works closely with a local IV-sedation anesthesiologist for cases that need more.

Credentials & training

DDS, University of Washington School of Dentistry, 2018
DOCS Education — Oral Conscious Sedation Certified
Nitrous Oxide / Oxygen Analgesia Certified (TX)
AGD Preventive & Pediatric continuing education
Sound-sensitive & trauma-informed care protocols

Dr. Amaya Nakamura, DDS — Preventive & Anxiety-Aware Care

Why three, not ten

A small team is a clinical decision.

Continuity

Your doctor actually remembers your mouth — because the patient list is finite. You aren't starting over every visit.

Peer review

Friday-afternoon case reviews mean complex plans are seen by all three of us before anything gets quoted.

Slower days, better calls

Fewer patients per clinician per day means better decisions, cleaner margins, fewer redos. Quiet work is good work.

Meet the team in person.

Your first visit is a conversation, not a procedure. Ninety minutes with your assigned doctor — examining, imaging, listening, and building a plan together.

Book the Precision Visit What to expect

Assigned clinicianMatched based on your goals and preferences

Second opinion policyComplex plans reviewed by the team — no extra charge