Coffee, tea, red wine, and twenty years of birthdays: teeth dull gradually, so gradually you barely notice until a photo makes it obvious. Professional whitening is the fastest cosmetic win in dentistry: safe, dramatic, and done right, it looks like your teeth on their best day, not a set of piano keys. At New Street Dental in Bethlehem, we offer both in-office whitening and custom take-home trays, and we will tell you honestly which one fits your teeth, your timeline, and your budget.
Call (610) 867-7112 or book online to get started.
In-Office Whitening: Results in About an Hour
If you have an event coming up, or you simply want the result today, in-office whitening is the answer. Dr. Tunney or your hygienist applies a professional-strength whitening gel that chemically breaks down years of surface and subsurface stains. The entire visit takes about an hour, and most patients walk out several shades whiter the same day.
Because it happens under professional supervision, we protect your gums, control sensitivity, and use gel strengths that drugstore products are not allowed to contain. That is the entire difference between professional whitening and the strips aisle: stronger, safer, and even.
Take-Home Whitening: Same Result, Your Schedule
Prefer to whiten gradually at home? We make custom trays from impressions of your teeth, molded to hug every contour. You fill them with professional gel and wear them a few hours a day (some patients prefer overnight) for about two weeks. The end result matches in-office whitening; it just arrives gradually, which some patients actually prefer since day-to-day changes are subtle.
Custom trays hold another advantage: they are yours forever. When you want a touch-up next year, you only need more gel, not a new treatment.
Professional vs. Drugstore Whitening: The Honest Comparison
Whitening strips and one-size trays do work a little. Here is what you trade:
- Strength. Over-the-counter gels are legally capped far below professional strength. Weeks of strips often equal less than one professional session.
- Evenness. Strips are flat; teeth are not. Curved and overlapping teeth whiten patchily with strips, evenly with custom trays.
- Gum protection. Loose trays and strips leak gel onto gums, which is what causes the zingers. Custom trays and supervised application keep gel where it belongs.
- A real diagnosis first. Whitening healthy teeth is safe. Whitening a tooth that is dark because the nerve is dying does nothing except delay real treatment. A quick exam first means you spend money on what actually works.
What Whitening Can and Cannot Fix
Whitening removes stains from enamel: coffee, tea, wine, tobacco, and everyday aging. It works on most people and it works well.
It does not change the color of crowns, veneers, or fillings, and it cannot lift deep internal discoloration from trauma, certain medications, or a treated root canal. For those, porcelain veneers or a crown do the job completely, and Dr. Tunney will tell you which situation you are in before you spend anything. That upfront honesty is the whole reason to whiten at a dental office.
Managing Sensitivity
Some patients get temporary sensitivity while whitening; it fades within a day or two of finishing. We manage it in ways the drugstore cannot: adjusting gel strength, shortening wear times, spacing sessions, and recommending desensitizing toothpaste alongside treatment. If your teeth are already sensitive, tell us; sensitive-teeth patients whiten successfully here all the time, just on a gentler schedule.
What Does Teeth Whitening Cost in Bethlehem?
Whitening is one of the most affordable cosmetic treatments we offer, far less than veneers or crowns. Because it is cosmetic, insurance typically does not cover it, so we keep it simple: you get the exact price in writing before you decide, in-office and take-home quoted side by side, with no pressure toward the bigger number. Financing through third-party providers is available if you are combining whitening with other treatment.
Whiter Teeth, Backed by a Dental Team
Whitening kiosks and studios can shine a light on gel. What they cannot do is examine your teeth first, treat the cavity the gel would have aggravated, manage sensitivity properly, or match your result plan to crowns and fillings you already have. At New Street Dental, your whitening comes with a dentist attached: Dr. Gene Tunney (DDS, New York University) and a team known across Bethlehem for calm, honest care.
We whiten smiles from all over the Lehigh Valley: Bethlehem, Bethlehem Township, Fountain Hill, Hellertown, Catasauqua, Center Valley, Nazareth, and Allentown, at 920 N New Street in Bethlehem.