Dental Automation and Patient Acquisition | Dr. Catrise Austin at Becker's 2026

Dentistry has automated almost everything that happens after a patient calls the office, and almost nothing that happens before. Dr. Catrise Austin explains why that gap is costing practices patients, chair time and eventual sale price. Dr. Austin is a cosmetic dentist, the owner of VIP Smiles Dentistry, the founder of Celebrity Branding LLC, and a co-author of The Dental Exit Blueprint: The 13 EBITDA Levers That Drive Maximum Value. She spoke on the panel "How DSOs and Small Practices Are Using Automation to Boost Efficiency and Quality" at the Becker's Future of Dentistry Roundtable in Chicago. WHAT SHE COVERS The 3-question test for what to automate. Is the task repetitive? Is it rules based? Can it be done without human warmth? All 3 yes, automate it. If it needs warmth, a person keeps it. The missed call problem. Research by contributing author Andrew Klepner tracked 4,280 inbound calls across 26 dental practices and found 38% went unanswered during business hours. At $800 to $1,200 per missed new patient call, that is marketing money on the floor. The acquisition gap. Every dental software platform is built around the patient chart, and there is no chart yet for the person who has not called. Dr. Austin built the Veneer Authority System to attract, educate and qualify patients before they ever reach her schedule. Case acceptance. About 56% of presented treatment plans are accepted and 46% of those are completed. The conversation in the chair is human work. The follow-up after the patient leaves is not. What it is worth. Practices that can prove their systems run without the owner have sold at 9x to 11x earnings. Practices that cannot get 5x to 7x. On a practice earning $500,000, that is a $2M to $3M difference. RESOURCES Free practice assessment: https://dentalexitscore.com Work with Dr. Austin: https://celebritybrandingusa.com The Fame Formula Authority Score: https://www.fameformulascore.com ABOUT DR. CATRISE AUSTIN Dr. Catrise Austin is a cosmetic dentist and authority strategist who built and sold her New York City practice, where her patients included figures in music and entertainment. She is the creator of The Fame Formula, a 5-pillar system built on Position, Publish, Promote, Publicity and Profit, and the author of The Authority Gap. #DentalAutomation #DentalPracticeGrowth #Dentistry