Periodontal Maintenance

Treating gum disease stops it. Maintenance is what keeps it stopped — and keeps your teeth.

Request an Appointment ☎ (951) 679-0520

✓ Gentle, unhurried care✓ Serving Sun City & Menifee✓ Most PPO insurance accepted

Details

Why Three or Four Months, Not Six

Once you’ve had periodontitis, the pockets around your teeth are deeper than normal, and the bacteria that caused the problem repopulate them within about 90 days. A standard six-month cleaning schedule simply lets the infection re-establish itself between visits.

Periodontal maintenance appointments are timed to interrupt that cycle. They’re also more thorough than a routine cleaning — we clean below the gumline around every tooth, re-measure pockets to check for change, and address any area that’s flaring up before it does more damage.

What Each Visit Includes

Full pocket re-measurement and comparison to your last visit, removal of plaque and tartar above and below the gumline, root surface smoothing where needed, polishing, and a review of your home care. We’ll also check whether any medication changes are affecting your mouth.

This Is Lifelong

Periodontitis is a chronic condition, like high blood pressure. It’s controlled rather than cured. Patients who keep to their maintenance schedule overwhelmingly keep their teeth; those who drift back to occasional visits tend to lose ground.