The CDT codes dental teams bill daily — with the narrative requirements, frequency limits, and plan-clause traps that cause dental denials.
| Code | Procedure (Plain English) | Documentation, Frequency & Denial Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostics & Preventive (D0xxx–D1xxx) | ||
| D0120 | Periodic oral evaluation (recall exam) | Typically 2/year frequency limit. Cannot bill same day as D0150 for same patient. |
| D0150 | Comprehensive oral evaluation (new/established after 3 yrs) | Usually 1 per provider per 3 years — billing it at every recall gets flagged fast. |
| D0140 | Limited evaluation, problem-focused (emergency exam) | Pairs with the emergency treatment code; some plans bundle if definitive treatment same day. |
| D0220 / D0230 | Periapical X-ray, first / each additional | Watch total X-ray billing against the FMX allowance — multiple PAs + bitewings may auto-recode to D0210 (and pay less). |
| D0274 | Bitewings, four films | Frequency-limited (commonly 1/year adult). Age rules for film counts. |
| D0210 | Full-mouth X-ray series (FMX) | Commonly 1 per 3–5 years. FMX and pano (D0330) often share a frequency bucket — check before taking both. |
| D1110 | Adult prophylaxis (cleaning) | 2/year typical. The D1110-vs-D4346/D4910 decision after perio treatment is the top hygiene coding error — perio patients move to D4910, and downgrading back needs documentation. |
| D1206 / D1208 | Fluoride varnish / topical fluoride | Adult fluoride is commonly not covered — verify or collect; age limits on pediatric coverage. |
| Restorative (D2xxx) | ||
| D2391 | Composite filling, posterior, one surface | Some plans downgrade posterior composites to amalgam rates (patient owes the difference — disclose upfront). Surface counts must match the chart. |
| D2740 | Crown, porcelain/ceramic | Narrative + pre-op X-ray nearly always required: existing restoration >50%, fracture lines, cusp coverage need. 5–8 year replacement clauses; verify seat date vs prior crown. |
| D2950 | Core buildup, including pins | The most-denied restorative code: plans consider it inclusive without documentation of insufficient remaining structure. Bill with the crown, not before. |
| D2954 | Prefabricated post and core | Requires prior endo; plans check RCT history on the tooth. |
| Endodontics (D3xxx) | ||
| D3310 / D3320 / D3330 | Root canal: anterior / premolar / molar | Working-length X-rays support the claim. Retreatment (D3346–D3348) needs a narrative on why the original failed. |
| D3220 | Therapeutic pulpotomy | Primarily pediatric; billing with same-day RCT start on the same tooth denies as inclusive. |
| Periodontics (D4xxx) | ||
| D4341 | Scaling & root planing (SRP), 4+ teeth per quadrant | The classic documentation denial: needs perio charting with 4mm+ pockets, radiographic bone loss, and tooth counts per quadrant. Most plans limit 2 quadrants/visit and expect a re-eval before D4910. |
| D4342 | SRP, 1–3 teeth per quadrant | Tooth numbers required on the claim; billing D4341 when only 3 teeth qualify is the audit pattern plans mine for. |
| D4346 | Scaling with generalized moderate/severe gingival inflammation | The bridge code between prophy and SRP — no bone loss, but bleeding/inflammation documented. Not billable same day as D1110 or SRP. |
| D4910 | Periodontal maintenance | Only after completed SRP/perio surgery, typically 3–4/year alternating rules with D1110 vary by plan. Plans deny D4910 with no perio history on file. |
| Oral Surgery (D7xxx) | ||
| D7140 | Simple extraction, erupted tooth | Upcoding D7140 to D7210 without documented bone removal/sectioning is the extraction audit trigger. |
| D7210 | Surgical extraction requiring bone removal or sectioning | Note must describe flap, bone removal, or sectioning. X-ray supports. |
| D7240 | Full bony impaction removal | Panoramic evidence of impaction depth. Third-molar age limits on some plans; medical-plan cross-coding sometimes pays better — check both benefits. |
| Prosthodontics & Implants (D5xxx–D6xxx) | ||
| D5110 / D5120 | Complete denture, upper / lower | 5–10 year replacement clauses; verify prior denture history. Adjustments within 6 months usually inclusive. |
| D6010 | Implant body placement, endosteal | Missing tooth clause central: extraction date vs coverage effective date decides everything. Many plans still exclude implants entirely — verify and estimate in writing. |
| D6058 | Abutment-supported porcelain/ceramic crown | Implant crown coding must match the abutment codes billed; mixing implant and conventional crown codes denies. |
| D6740 | Bridge retainer crown, porcelain/ceramic | Missing tooth clause + abutment tooth condition narrative. Plans compare against less-costly-alternative (partial) provisions. |
| Adjunctive (D9xxx) | ||
| D9110 | Palliative treatment of pain, minor procedure | Per-visit code; needs the problem and treatment noted. Not billable with definitive treatment of the same tooth same day. |
| D9230 / D9243 | Nitrous oxide / IV sedation per 15-min | Sedation coverage is plan-by-plan and often excluded — verify or collect. Time units documented in the record. |
| D9944–D9946 | Occlusal guards (hard/soft, full/partial arch) | Bruxism documentation; many plans limit 1 per 3–5 years or exclude. Medical cross-coding possible for TMD cases. |
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CDT codes and nomenclature are copyright the American Dental Association; descriptions here are plain-English paraphrases for education, not official descriptors. Frequency limits and clauses summarized reflect common plan behavior — the patient's specific plan document controls. Updated July 2026. See the full dental billing guide.