Voted one of 25 Top Women in Dentistry 2015, Dr. Catrise Lynette Austin, aka, “The Queen of Smiles,” is an expert in cosmetic and general dentistry. She is the author of multiple dental consumer books, a professional speaker, beauty and health blogger, national Colgate Total brand spokesperson, and businesswoman. Best known as the “Dentist to the Stars,” many celebrities have placed their teeth in her capable hands.
Question: Regarding natural oral hygiene products, what are the trends you are seeing?
Answer: In 2019, I see the use of turmeric as the new hot natural oral care and teeth whitening trend. Julianne Hough made headlines recently when she revealed that she uses tumeric to keep her smile white.
Question: What natural ingredients for dental care are you interested in?
Answer: I have to say as a cosmetic dentist, I love activated charcoal as a teeth whitening and oral health product! I love it so much that I actually created my own line of charcoal products called “VIP Smiles.” I have a very fine cut Organic Coconut Charcoal Powder that is not as course and abrasive as some of the powders on the market, as well as a Bamboo Toothbrush with Charcoal Infused Toothbrush Bristles that consumers love.
Question: What are your thoughts on charcoal powders? What should retailers look for when selecting these types of products for their stores?
Answer: Whitening teeth with activated charcoal powders and pastes is soaring in popularity on social media and even mainstream media. Sounds weird that something that’s black in color can whiten your teeth, right? I get asked almost daily by my patients and followers if they can really whiten their teeth this way.
The short answer is “yes you can!” Here’s what you need to know: When you brush with activated charcoal powders and pastes, the charcoal binds to toxins and stains in the mouth and removes them. This results in whiter, brighter teeth. However, please keep in mind that the degree of whiteness and brightness achieved will vary from person to person.
When choosing charcoal products, retailers should:
1.Check to see how course or how fine the charcoal powder is. One of the biggest concerns dental professionals have brushing with charcoal is its potential abrasiveness and potential to wear the tooth’s enamel away, which could lead to sensitivity. Test and compare charcoal products before automatically choosing the cheapest price point.
2. Ask where the charcoal is made. Products made overseas tend to be coarser in texture.
3. Ask what additional natural ingredients the charcoal product has that can benefit the consumer’s oral health.
Question: What are some of your recommendations for other natural teeth whiteners?
Answer: In my No. 1 Amazon bestselling book, The Ultimate Guide To Charcoal Teeth Whitening, I provide my top recipes for making teeth whiteners with items that you can take right from your kitchen cabinet, like good ole baking soda and peroxide like our grandparents used to use, and even fresh strawberries, to name a few.
Question: One of your most famous clients is rapper Cardi B. How is she as a patient? Has she mentioned you in a song?
Answer: Cardi B is simply amazing! Just like most patients who get dental procedures, she hates the thought of pain and needles. So, I get to see the softer vulnerable side of Cardi B. There’s a video on social media of Cardi B in my office where I’m about to give her the needle. Her reaction will make you laugh and smile.
In 2016, I got a call from VH1 asking me if I would I would transform the smile of a hot new reality star that aspired to be a rapper by the name of Cardi B. She was beautiful and talented but was being publicly ridiculed on social media and mainstream media because of her less than perfect smile. I read many of the comments and made it my mission to make a statement with her new smile with teeth whitening and porcelain veneers. Her smile transformation was so profound that not only did they feature her makeover on the season premiere episode of their No. 1 show “Love and Hip Hop,” she rapped about her smile makeover in her No. 1 billboard song Bodak Yellow. That same week, TMZ featured me as her cosmetic dentist that was referenced in the song (“got a bag and fixed my teeth, hope you hoes know it ain’t cheap”). People started to come from everywhere to get their VIP Smiles like Cardi B. My business tripled in no time. For this I am forever grateful. Cardi B has truly changed my life.
Website: www.vipsmilesstore.com
