Periodontal maintenance

Once gum disease has been treated, the bacteria that cause it come back faster than they would in a healthy mouth. Periodontal maintenance is a more thorough cleaning, every three or four months, that keeps the disease from returning.

How it differs from a regular cleaning

A routine cleaning focuses on the teeth above the gum line. Maintenance cleans below the gum line, in the pockets where the infection lives, and we re-measure them so any change is caught early.

Sharing visits with your dentist

Many patients alternate: one visit here, the next at their regular dentist. We send your dentist our notes after every visit so everyone is working from the same information.

Questions we hear often

Why every three months instead of six?

Research shows the bacteria that cause periodontitis rebuild to damaging levels in about three months. Cleaning on that schedule keeps them below that level.

Is it covered by insurance?

Most dental plans cover periodontal maintenance, though some count it toward the same yearly limit as cleanings. We'll check your plan.