So the result lasts
Check-ups at the frequency your case needs
Treatment stops the infection; maintenance keeps it from coming back. It is the least glamorous part, and the one that most decides whether you still have your teeth in twenty years.
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Why maintenance is not just another cleaning
A conventional hygiene appointment works above the gum line, on patients without disease. Periodontal maintenance is something else: it is the follow-up of a diagnosed chronic disease, and it works below the gum too, in the areas that were diseased and tend to be recolonised.
Every session starts by measuring again. Probing depth and bleeding are recorded and compared with the previous visit. Those numbers are the alarm system: a pocket going from four to six millimetres warns months before the patient notices anything.
Then the biofilm in the risk areas is disrupted and the deeper points are checked. The aim is not a mouth that is clean for one day, but one where the inflammatory cycle does not start up again.
How often to come, and why it is not the same for everyone
The maintenance interval is set by risk, not by the calendar. A non-smoker with good hygiene and few deep points may be fine every six months. A smoker with diabetes and a history of bone loss often needs to come every three.
Subgingival biofilm reorganises within weeks and regains its inflammatory capacity within months. That is the biological reason an annual check-up falls short in a periodontal patient: by the time it arrives, the disease has had time to get back to work.
The interval is reviewed too. If the numbers improve steadily, visits are spaced out; if they worsen, they are brought closer. It is a continuous adjustment, not a fixed schedule for life.
Implants: peri-implantitis and why maintenance matters even more
An implant cannot decay, which leads many people to think it no longer needs attention. The opposite is true. There is no periodontal ligament around an implant, so the biological seal is weaker and infection, once established, advances faster than around a natural tooth.
Peri-implant mucositis is the reversible stage: inflammation without bone loss. If it is not stopped it becomes peri-implantitis and the bone holding the implant begins to disappear. Recovering that bone is difficult and the prognosis is far worse than for a tooth.
A patient who lost teeth to periodontitis and now has implants is, by definition, a high-risk patient. That is why implant maintenance uses specific instruments that will not scratch the titanium surface, along with periodic radiographic checks.
When it needs treating
- You have finished periodontal treatment and want it to last
- You have implants and want to protect them from peri-implantitis
- Periodontitis keeps returning despite standard treatment
- You smoke or have diabetes: your risk is higher
- You want to know your risk before any symptom appears
How we do it
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1
Review and measurement
We measure pockets and bleeding again. The numbers say whether things are stable or moving.
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2
Maintenance cleaning
We remove biofilm from the areas that have built up again, including around implants.
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3
Microbiological analysis
When a case resists, we identify which bacteria are present so treatment can be adjusted rather than guessed.
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4
Adjusting the interval
If risk falls, we space visits out. If it rises, we bring them closer. Your case sets the schedule, not the calendar.
Frequently asked questions
Isn't an annual cleaning enough?
If you have never had periodontitis, perhaps. If you have, an annual cleaning usually arrives too late: biofilm reorganises within months.
What is peri-implantitis?
The same disease, but around an implant. An implant cannot decay, but it can lose the bone holding it.
What is microbiological analysis for?
To find out which microorganisms are driving a periodontitis that is not responding to standard treatment, and to choose treatment accordingly.
If I was treated elsewhere, can you do my maintenance?
Yes. Many patients are treated at another clinic and come here for maintenance, or the other way round, coordinated with their dentist.
How long is a maintenance appointment?
Between forty-five minutes and an hour, depending on how many risk areas there are. It includes control probing, instrumentation of the areas that need it and a review of home care.
Does maintenance hurt?
Anaesthetic is usually not needed. If there are specific sensitive points or pockets that are still deep, local anaesthetic can be used in that area.
Can my usual dentist do my maintenance?
Yes, and in many cases that is the most practical option. What matters is that whoever does it has the periodontal chart and knows which areas to watch. We coordinate without any problem.
If my gums bleed between visits, should I wait?
No. Bleeding is the early sign that something is flaring up. It is better to bring the appointment forward than to wait for the scheduled date.
Shall we talk?
Tell us what is going on and we will say whether this is your case or not. The first visit is about naming it.