Periodontal Maintenance
Periodontal maintenance is the ongoing care that holds the result after gum treatment — more thorough than a routine cleaning, and more frequent.
Once gum disease has been treated, the tissue is stable rather than cured. The bacteria return, and in a mouth that has already lost bone they do more damage more quickly. Maintenance visits are how that is kept in check.
How it differs from a routine cleaning
- Cleaning goes below the gumline, into the pockets that remain
- Pocket depths are re-measured each time and compared against your record
- Visits are usually more frequent than every six months
- Areas that have previously lost bone are given particular attention
The interval is set by how your gums respond, not by a rule. If things remain stable it can often be lengthened, and we would rather do that than keep you coming in unnecessarily.