Nationwide — In November 2016, during the filming of Season 7 of “Love & Hip Hop: New York,” Dr. Catrise Austin rebuilt Cardi B’s smile, and she rapped about it in “Bodak Yellow,” her first number one single. The transformation later became a clue on “Jeopardy,” and now, ten years later, the New York cosmetic dentist is marking the anniversary by publishing a clinical guide for dentists and by taking a public position on the newest shortcut in cosmetic dentistry.
A robotic system built to prepare teeth for porcelain veneers raised about $17.4 million this summer and is approved for clinical use in India and the United Kingdom, according to Becker’s Dental. Dr. Austin, known professionally as The Queen of Smiles, says consumers reading those headlines should notice two details that rarely travel with them. The platform is supervised by a dentist, and it has no announced clearance in the United States.
“A robot can shape a tooth. It cannot decide whether you should be having the procedure at all, and it cannot sit with you when something goes wrong,” she says. “Every one of these systems still has a licensed dentist standing over it. That is the part the headlines leave out.”
Dr. Austin releases The Veneer Authority: The No-Prep Playbook in November, a clinical guide for dentists on veneers that require little or no removal of healthy tooth structure. It is her third book on veneers and the first written for clinicians rather than patients. She says the shortage is not technology but trained clinicians, and that the gap is pushing patients toward options ranging from the unproven to the illegal.
The American Dental Association warned in 2024 that work performed by unlicensed veneer technicians can cause irreversible harm. In Florida last year, a woman was arrested and charged with practicing dentistry without a license after police said she fitted veneers using cyanoacrylate glue at a beauty bar, leaving patients with pain, infections and thousands of dollars in emergency repairs. Others leave the country. The California Dental Association advises patients that savings expected from dental treatment abroad may prove illusory once complications, follow-up visits and corrective work are counted.
“That smile is ten years old, and it still works,” Dr. Austin says. “That is not a machine’s achievement. It is what happens when a licensed dentist is still answerable for the result years later. Patients are not flying overseas because they want an adventure. They go because they cannot find it, or afford it, at home.”
Austin treats patients in New York and Detroit and offers virtual photo and video consultations for people considering treatment. Cosmetic cases can begin with a trial smile priced from $99, a preview product from Neer, the no-prep veneer manufacturer that entered the market in June 2025. and is a co-branding partner on Austin’s new book.
The announcement closes the final week of National Dental Hygiene Month. Austin was recently named a 40 Over 40 honoree by Dental Lifestyles Magazine and placed as first runner-up speaker in Dentistry’s Got Talent, where she presented on how dentists can get booked, featured, and paid. She owns Celebrity Branding Agency, which has published bestselling dental titles including Dental Exit Blueprint, a collaboration of 29 authors, and Raving Patients Supercharged. She hosts the Let’s Talk Smiles podcast.
Patients can request a virtual photo and video consultation through VIP Smiles. Dentists can join the notification list for The Veneer Authority: The No-Prep Playbook ahead of its November release.
About
Dr. Catrise Austin is a cosmetic dentist practicing in New York City and Detroit, where she treats patients seeking smile makeovers, veneers, and whitening. Known professionally as The Queen of Smiles, she has practiced for 30 years and is the author of Porcelain Veneers Exposed, Porcelain Veneers vs. Clear Aligners, and The Authority Gap. She speaks at dental meetings including the Florida Dental Convention, the Michigan Dental Association, and the Yankee Dental Congress, hosts the Let’s Talk Smiles podcast, and owns Celebrity Branding Agency, a public relations and publishing firm serving entrepreneurs including dental professionals, speakers, authors, and podcasters.
For press inquiries, contact draustin@celebritybrandingusa.com or 917-540-5367