Meet Dr. Catrise Austin, the Celebrity Cosmetic Dentist and Branding Coach credited for fixing the smiles of top celebrity artists like Cardi B, DJ Khalid, Busta Rhymes, Missy Elliot, and Toni Braxton, among a host of stars.
During periodic consultations with the orthodontist at the age of 15, Catrise decided she was going to be a dentist. Passionate about this dream, she went on to study for her doctorate degree in dental surgery from the University of Maryland in 1996 and completed her advanced training in dentistry at Brooklyn’s Lutheran Medical Center.
When she established her dental facility, VIP Smiles, in 1998, she attracted high-profile clients, including music legends – Missy Elliot, Toni Braxton, Paula Abdul, Common, and Isaac Hayes. She is also credited for fixing the teeth of American rapper, Cardi B – a move that flipped the recognition of her brand to a whole new level of success.
The doctor was featured in Cardi B’s single, “Bodak Yellow,” which made it to the Billboard Hot 100, according to the Cut. The rapper commended the work of Dr. Catrise in her lyrics, saying “Got a bag and fixed my teeth. Hope you hoes know it ain’t cheap”. This directed huge business traffic to the doctor’s facility, with new clients requesting the same oral experience as the rapper.
Dr. Catrise recalled how she got a call from the producers of MTV Love and Hip-hop in 2016, asking her to fix the rapper’s teeth after social media went into a frenzy about it. She gave the American rapper a dental makeover of a lifetime, and still gets referrals from fans of Cardi B, requesting a smile makeover – seven years after the experience, according to Byte.
Aside from her celebrity clients, Dr. Catrise also helps business executives, people looking for love, and anyone who cares to fix their smiles. She believes a confident smile has a positive impact on the health of people.
Inspired by her personal dental experience which boosted her confidence in her teens, she launched a campaign in 2018, to make affordable smile makeovers easily accessible to people. Before her philanthropic work, Dr. Catrise was named as one of the 25 most influential black women in business in 1999, according to VIP Smiles.
