Why Periodontal Maintenance Matters Long After Treatment
In this brief informational video, Dr. Katie To explains why regular periodontal maintenance appointments are essential after gum‑disease treatment. She notes that the pathogenic bacteria that caused the disease never fully disappear; they recolonize, so a maintenance visit every three to four months is needed to remove the new bacterial buildup before it can trigger disease progression again. Dr. To likens skipping maintenance to stopping follow‑up care after a course of antibiotics—while the infection may have been treated, the underlying conditions can return. She emphasizes that maintenance is not a luxury cleaning but a chronic‑condition management tool that can mean the difference between keeping one’s natural teeth for life versus losing them. Finally, she urges anyone who has been treated for gum disease and has drifted back to annual cleanings to contact their periodontist promptly to re‑establish a proper maintenance schedule, which is far simpler than treating active disease later.
