Periodontal Maintenance
Also written as: PM — Periodontal Maintenance
The ongoing, structured recall program of professional periodontal care provided to patients following the completion of active periodontal treatment.
Full Definition
Periodontal maintenance (PM), sometimes called supportive periodontal therapy (SPT), involves periodic professional visits — typically every three to four months — to monitor periodontal stability, reinforce oral hygiene, and perform supragingival and selective subgingival debridement. It is a distinct phase of periodontal care that follows the active treatment phase and differs from a routine prophylaxis in its clinical scope and documentation requirements. Editors should not substitute 'periodontal maintenance' with 'recall', 'cleaning', or 'prophylaxis' in formal clinical or insurance documentation, as these terms carry different procedural and reimbursement implications.
Usage
Usage note: Do not substitute with 'prophylaxis' (D1110) in formal documents; periodontal maintenance has a distinct billing code (D4910) with different clinical scope.
In Context
- "The patient was placed on a three-month periodontal maintenance schedule following the successful completion of active therapy." — Periodontal treatment plan document
- "Insurance pre-authorization forms must specify 'periodontal maintenance' rather than 'prophylaxis' to ensure correct coding and reimbursement." — Insurance claim documentation