Following her first season on VH1’s Love & Hip-Hop, Cardi invested in a new smile, courtesy of celebrity dentist Dr. Catrise Austin — which Cardi raps about on her smash hit, “Bodak Yellow” — and according to Austin, business has skyrocketed ever since her shout-out on the song.
Austin is referring to the line where Cardi raps, “Got a bag and fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain’t cheap.” In a video obtained by TMZ, Austin says that ever since “Bodak Yellow” went No. 1, her client list has grown exponentially. “…I’ve gotten so many calls because people actually wonder who is Cardi B’s dentist,” reported TMZ. “My business has literally tripled, and I have seen so many types of people from college students to the retired police officers.”
Dr. Austin is the owner of a New York City Cosmetic and General Dentistry, VIP Smiles, in New York. The practice boasts an impressive and loyal following, including such entertainment luminaries as DJ Khaled, Common, Nephew Tommy, Toni Braxton and Missy Elliot just to name a few. Also, The Discovery Health Channel, The Queen Latifah Show, and The Ricki Lake Show have used her services. She is the author of multiple dental consumer books, a professional speaker on dentistry and business topics, currently serves as a national brand spokesperson for Colgate Total, and in 2015 she was voted in the “Top 25 Women in Dentistry.”
“When I was a young child, I noticed that my teeth were different. By the time I reached high school, I really started to feel a bit self-conscious about my smile. But what could I do? At that time, I thought that because of my mom’s financial limitations as a single parent, braces were out of the question…
“Knowing that my smile bothered me all my life, my mother decided to make the sacrifice. And at the age of 15, I got braces! When the braces were removed, my life completely changed!”
“In just a year I experienced a complete turnaround in how I viewed the world. Where before I was hesitant and timid, now I had the confidence and hope, I no longer had to hold my hand over my mouth or smile without showing teeth, just to avoid embarrassment. My orthodontist had given me more than straighter teeth and a normal smile; he had literally given me my life back! The feeling of gratification and compliments that I received boosted my self-esteem and helped me discover my life’s calling – to become a cosmetic dentist so that I could provide the same life-changing experience for others.”
“Prevention is the best,” says Dr. Austin. “The four pillars of oral health are: one, brush for at least two minutes; two, floss at least once a day; three rinse with some alcohol-free mouthwash; four, scrape your tongue.”
“Cardi B has totally inspired a lot of people to improve their smiles, which really changes your life,” she said.
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