Service
Gum maintenance visits
A gum maintenance visit is the cleaning you come for after a deep cleaning.
It repeats your gum measurements, cleans above and below the gum line and checks how your home care is going. It takes the place of a regular cleaning, not an addition to it.
Services
What happens
- 01
Step 1: Measurements, compared
The hygienist measures the gums and compares the numbers with your last visit. A change shows up here first.
- 02
Step 2: A cleaning above and below the gum line
Plaque and tartar are removed from both, with numbing if you want it.
- 03
Step 3: A look at home care
She watches how you brush and clean between your teeth, and suggests a brush or a tool that fits your gaps.
- 04
Step 4: The dentist's exam
Your dentist reviews the measurements and talks over what changed.
- 05
Step 5: Your next date
You leave knowing when the next visit is, and what it will include.
Services
Comfort, choices and care
Comfort
Most maintenance visits need little or no numbing, because a deep cleaning already settled the gums. Say so if a spot is tender and we will adjust.
Other choices, and waiting
If your measurements stay steady, your dentist may tell you when you can return to regular cleanings. Skipping maintenance lets plaque and tartar build up below the gum line again, and the measurements that showed a change early are lost.
Risks and after-care
Gums can be tender or bleed a little afterward, and teeth may be sensitive for a day. Use a soft brush, and call us if it doesn't settle.
How it is billed
A maintenance visit is billed under its own procedure code, not as a routine cleaning, and plans differ on how often they pay for it. You get an estimate in writing first if you pay yourself.
How fees work
Questions about gum maintenance visits
How often are maintenance visits?
Your dentist sets it. Many people start at every three to four months, and some later move to every six.
Is it the same as a regular cleaning?
No. It includes gum measurements and cleaning below the gum line, which a regular cleaning does not.
What if I miss one?
Call us and we will find another time. A late visit means more to clean, and your dentist may suggest a closer interval.
Do I still get an exam?
Yes. The dentist examines you at the interval your plan sets.
Provided by a general dentist
Gum maintenance visits at Hickory Grove Dental is provided by our general dentists and hygienists. Ask for a visit and we will call with a time.