Why are my cleanings now called “maintenance,” and why do they cost more?

Gum disease can be controlled, but it doesn't go away for good. Bacteria gradually return to the pockets, so cleanings need to reach deeper and come more often than a regular cleaning. The American Academy of Periodontology recommends maintenance visits about every 3 months for most people with gum disease, adjusted to how your gums are doing. Each visit cleans the pockets and checks your measurements to catch any changes early.

If your gums stay stable for a long time, ask whether you can space visits out or alternate with a regular cleaning.

Each plan is different, but here's what's most common:

• Maintenance and regular cleanings usually share one yearly limit. If your plan covers two cleanings a year, two maintenance visits will often use them up. With visits about every 3 months, the third and fourth visits of the year may not be covered.
• Less often, a plan gives maintenance cleanings their own separate limit, or covers more visits per year after a deep cleaning.
• Some plans pay a maintenance cleaning as if it were a regular cleaning, and you pay the difference. See Why did insurance only pay for a cheaper treatment?
• Some pay for maintenance cleanings only if you've had a deep cleaning or other gum treatment before. If you've switched plans, records from your previous plan, or a note from your dentist about your gum treatment history, usually take care of it.

Check your plan documents, or ask member services how your plan handles D4910 and how many cleanings a year it covers.