Periodontal maintenance is a professional cleaning above and below the gumline for people who have been treated for gum disease, scheduled more often than a regular cleaning to keep the disease under control. We provide it in Redondo Beach, a short drive from Torrance, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach.
Most patients start periodontal maintenance after active treatment, usually scaling and root planing. That treatment cleans out the pockets that gum disease creates between the teeth and gums. Maintenance is what keeps them clean afterward. If you have finished a deep cleaning, here or at another office, and were told to come back every three months, call Redondo Beach Dental Group at (310) 542-6988 to set up your schedule.
How Periodontal Maintenance Differs From a Regular Cleaning
A regular cleaning is preventive care for healthy gums. It removes plaque and tartar from the tooth surfaces and just under the edge of the gums, usually twice a year as part of routine cleanings and exams.
Periodontal maintenance is ongoing treatment for gums that have already had periodontitis. Once the disease has caused the gum to pull away from the tooth, some pockets usually stay deeper than in a healthy mouth, even after successful treatment. Bacteria settle at the bottom of those pockets, below where a toothbrush, floss or a regular cleaning reaches. A maintenance visit cleans down into them.
The two visits differ in three practical ways:
- Depth: maintenance cleans the root surfaces inside any remaining pockets, not just the crowns of the teeth
- Measuring: pocket depths and bleeding are recorded and compared with earlier visits, so a change is caught early
- Frequency: maintenance is usually every three months instead of every six
If you have bleeding gums but have never been treated for gum disease, the starting point is an exam, not maintenance. The pocket measurements taken at that exam decide whether you need a deep cleaning or a regular cleaning first.
Why Maintenance Is Usually Every Three Months
The bacteria that cause periodontal disease begin to build back up within weeks after a cleaning. A visit around the three-month mark removes them before they have time to restart damage in the pockets, which is why maintenance is typically scheduled at that interval.
Three months is a starting point, not a fixed rule. A clinical practice guideline from the European Federation of Periodontology, published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology in 2020, recommends supportive periodontal care at intervals from 3 to a maximum of 12 months, set by each patient’s risk. Smoking, diabetes, how deep your pockets still are and how well you clean at home all affect that risk. Your interval is based on your measurements and can be shortened or lengthened as they change.
What Happens at a Maintenance Visit
A maintenance visit typically includes:
- Pocket depths around each tooth are measured and any bleeding is noted, then compared with your last visit.
- Your teeth and any fillings, crowns or implants are checked, and X-rays are taken when they are due.
- Plaque and tartar are removed above the gumline and from the root surfaces inside the pockets below it.
- The teeth are polished.
- Your home care is reviewed, including any spots that are being missed and tools that can reach them.
If a pocket has deepened or keeps bleeding, that area may need more than a maintenance cleaning. The options are the same ones used in active treatment. Ask us to go over your measurements at each visit, so you can see whether your gums are holding steady and which option, if any, fits.
Keeping Your Gums Stable Between Visits
The three months between appointments matter as much as the appointments. Bacteria regrow every day, so daily brushing and cleaning between the teeth with floss, interdental brushes or a water flosser is what holds the gains from treatment. Some patients also use Perio Protect trays, which hold medication against the gums at home, alongside their maintenance visits.
Gum disease that has caused bone loss can be controlled, but it is not cured. For that reason most people who have had periodontitis stay on periodontal maintenance long term. Patients whose gums stay stable for a long stretch may be moved to a longer interval, and that decision comes from the measurements, not from the calendar.
Who You Will See
Dr. Moshe Eizdi leads care at Redondo Beach Dental Group. He earned his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree at the University of Southern California, where he graduated with honors, and his work covers cosmetic and restorative dentistry, including implant restorations.
Why Insurance Treats Periodontal Maintenance Differently
Insurance treats periodontal maintenance differently from a regular cleaning because it is billed under a different procedure code. In the American Dental Association’s coding system, a routine adult cleaning is D1110 and periodontal maintenance is D4910. Many plans list D4910 as a periodontal service rather than preventive care.
That classification can change what you pay. Depending on the plan, maintenance may be covered at a different percentage than a cleaning, your deductible may apply when it would not for a preventive visit, and the plan may count maintenance toward the same yearly limit as routine cleanings. Plans that allow only two cleanings a year can leave a gap when maintenance is every three months. We accept PPO plans; ask us how your plan applies to periodontal maintenance.
What Periodontal Maintenance Costs
The cost of periodontal maintenance depends on how many teeth have pockets that need cleaning below the gumline, whether X-rays or an exam are due at the same visit, and whether any added therapy is used. Because it repeats every few months, the yearly total matters more than the cost of a single visit. Ask for an estimate so you know the number before your first appointment. For the balance after insurance, we offer payment plans through Cherry, CareCredit and LendingClub, plus an in-office plan for patients without insurance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a periodontal maintenance cleaning cost?
The cost of a periodontal maintenance cleaning depends on how many teeth need cleaning below the gumline and whether X-rays or an exam are due at the same visit. Ask Redondo Beach Dental Group for an estimate before your first appointment.
Does insurance cover periodontal maintenance?
Many dental plans cover part of periodontal maintenance, but often differently from a regular cleaning, because it is billed under its own periodontal procedure code. The coverage percentage, deductible and yearly cleaning limit can all differ, so ask us how your plan applies to periodontal maintenance.
Is periodontal maintenance worth it?
Periodontal maintenance is worth it for most people who have been treated for periodontitis, because the bacteria that cause the disease return within weeks of a cleaning. Regular maintenance is how the results of a deep cleaning are kept, and skipping it can allow pockets to deepen again without much warning, since gum disease rarely hurts.
How long does periodontal maintenance last?
Periodontal maintenance usually continues long term, because periodontitis that has caused bone loss is controlled rather than cured. The interval between visits can change over time. Gums that stay stable may allow a longer gap, while pockets that deepen call for a shorter one.
Can I go back to regular cleanings after periodontal maintenance?
Going back to regular cleanings is uncommon after periodontitis, because the pockets and bone loss it leaves behind need cleaning below the gumline. Whether your schedule can change is decided from your pocket measurements and bleeding over several visits.
Can gums heal from periodontitis?
Gums can heal from periodontitis in the sense that inflammation and bleeding settle and the gums tighten around the teeth after treatment. Bone that has already been lost does not grow back on its own, which is why maintenance continues after the gums look healthy.
Does periodontal maintenance hurt?
Periodontal maintenance usually feels much like a thorough regular cleaning. Areas with deeper pockets can be tender, and your gums may be a little sore for a day afterward. If a part of your mouth is sensitive, ask us about numbing it before the cleaning.
Schedule Periodontal Maintenance in Redondo Beach
Redondo Beach Dental Group is at 2511 Artesia Blvd, Redondo Beach, CA 90278. We are open Monday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Tuesday 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Call (310) 542-6988 or request an appointment online. If you have not yet been evaluated, gum disease treatment usually starts with an exam and gum measurements.