Every expensive dental problem was once a cheap one. A cavity starts microscopic, gum disease starts as a little bleeding when you floss, and both are quiet until they are not. Preventive care, the unglamorous six-month cleaning and exam, is how problems get caught while they are still small, painless, and inexpensive. At New Street Dental in Bethlehem, preventive visits are thorough, gentle, and honest: if nothing is wrong, we tell you nothing is wrong.
Due for a cleaning, or overdue by a few years? No lectures here, just a fresh start. Call (610) 867-7112 or book online.
What Happens at a Cleaning and Exam
A routine visit at our office covers more than most people realize:
- Professional cleaning. Your hygienist removes plaque and tartar, the hardened buildup that no toothbrush can remove, especially along the gumline and between teeth. Then a polish that leaves your teeth feeling like glass.
- Gum health check. We measure and watch for the early signs of gum disease: inflammation, redness, pockets forming around teeth. Caught early, gum disease is reversible.
- The full exam. Dr. Tunney checks every tooth for decay, cracks, and worn spots, reviews any restorations you have, and looks at bite, jaw, and soft tissue.
- Oral cancer screening, every visit. A careful look at your lips, gums, tongue, and the soft tissues of your mouth. Oral cancer is dangerous mainly because it is found late; a one-minute screening twice a year is the counter to that.
- Straight talk. You see what we see on the chairside cameras, hear what (if anything) needs attention and how urgent it truly is, and get honest answers, never a padded treatment plan.
Most patients should come every six months. If you are managing gum disease or are cavity-prone, we may suggest more frequent visits, and we will explain exactly why.
Digital X-Rays: Seeing What Eyes Cannot
Cavities love the places no one can see: between teeth, under old fillings, below the gumline. Our digital X-rays reveal them years before they would announce themselves as toothaches. We use the Nomad 2 Pro system, which produces instant, sharp, magnifiable images with extremely low radiation, about 80% less exposure than old film X-rays. Typically we take them once a year, more often only if something specific needs watching.
Stopping Gum Disease Before It Starts
Gum (periodontal) disease is the leading cause of tooth loss in adults, and its early stage, gingivitis, is completely reversible. The warning signs are easy to shrug off: gums that bleed when you brush or floss, puffiness, persistent bad breath. Do not shrug them off; bleeding gums are never “normal.”
Regular cleanings remove the tartar that drives gum disease, and at every visit we track your gum health so a drifting trend gets caught early. If gum disease has progressed, Dr. Tunney provides scaling and root planing (a deep cleaning below the gumline) to stop it, with clear aftercare guidance.
Fluoride, Night Guards, and the Supporting Cast
- Fluoride treatments strengthen enamel and reverse the very earliest stage of decay. Standard for kids, and often smart for cavity-prone adults too.
- Custom night guards protect your teeth if you grind or clench in your sleep. Morning jaw pain, headaches, and unexplained chips are the giveaway signs.
- Custom sports mouthguards for athletes of any age; a knocked-out tooth means a lifetime of dental work, and a simple custom mouthguard prevents it.
- Home care coaching. Real technique advice for brushing and flossing, plus product recommendations matched to your mouth, not a generic list.
Prevention at Home: The Short Version
Brush twice a day for two minutes, floss once a day, drink water instead of sugary drinks, and be careful using your teeth as tools (they are not scissors). Diet matters more than most people think: frequent sugar and refined carbs feed the bacteria that cause decay. None of this is news; the six-month visit is what keeps it honest.
What Does a Cleaning Cost in Bethlehem?
Here is the pleasant surprise of this page: preventive care is the best-covered dentistry in almost every insurance plan. Most plans cover two cleanings and exams per year at or near 100%, because insurers know prevention saves everyone money. We accept most major plans, including Aetna, Blue Cross Dental, Cigna, Concordia, Delta Dental, Guardian, and MetLife, and we verify your coverage before your visit.
No insurance? A cleaning and exam is among the most affordable services in dentistry, and we will quote you the exact price when you book, with third-party financing available for anything bigger the exam might find.
A Fresh Start, Minus the Guilt Trip
Been years since your last visit? You are exactly who we want to see, and nobody here will scold you. Dr. Gene Tunney (DDS, New York University) and our hygienists are the team behind the phrase our Google reviews repeat most: calm, kind, and judgment-free. We will assess where things stand, fix what needs fixing in order of importance, and get you back on easy six-month footing.
We serve patients from Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, Fountain Hill, Freemansburg, Hellertown, Catasauqua, Center Valley, Nazareth, and Allentown at 920 N New Street in the heart of Bethlehem, with same-day appointments often available.