Summary & Overview
CDT D0220: Intraoral Periapical First Radiographic Image
Headline: CDT code D0220: Single Intraoral Periapical Radiograph for Diagnostic Assessment
Lead: CDT code D0220 designates the first intraoral periapical radiographic image used to evaluate a targeted tooth and its surrounding structures. This foundational diagnostic service supports clinical decision-making in restorative, endodontic, and emergency dental care across outpatient dental offices.
What the code represents and why it matters: CDT code D0220 documents a single periapical radiograph taken to assess tooth apexes and adjacent bone. Nationally, accurate reporting of this code is important for clinical records, care coordination, and payer adjudication for routine and problem-focused dental evaluations.
Key payers covered: Major national commercial payers included in this profile are Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
Overview of what readers will learn: Readers will find a concise explanation of the clinical use and billing context for CDT code D0220, its place within dental diagnostic imaging, typical site of service, and relationships to related intraoral imaging codes. The publication also summarizes common billing considerations and documentation elements relevant to periapical imaging. Where input data is missing, the report notes "Data not available in the input."
Billing Code Overview
CDT code D0220 represents an intraoral periapical radiographic image of the first tooth or region captured. This procedure is a standard component of dental diagnostic imaging used to evaluate the apex and surrounding structures of a specific tooth. The service is typically performed in an office setting (POS 11) and produces a single periapical image intended to identify pathology such as periapical lesions, root morphology, and localized dental conditions.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A patient presents to a dental office (POS 11) with localized tooth pain or signs of periapical pathology. The dentist performs an intraoral clinical examination noting focal tenderness to percussion or suspected apical pathology on a specific tooth. To evaluate the tooth root and periapical tissues, the dentist obtains an intraoral periapical radiograph: CDT code D0220 (intraoral - periapical first radiographic image). The image is captured using standard intraoral periapical techniques, processed or digitized, and reviewed by the treating dentist to inform diagnosis and treatment planning (for example, root canal therapy, restoration, or monitoring). If additional periapical images are required for adjacent teeth or different angulations, associated code D0230 is used for each additional image.
Coding Specifications
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Common Modifiers:
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52- Reduced Services: Use when the procedure is partially reduced or eliminated at the dentist's discretion. This modifier indicates the service was performed in a reduced manner relative to the full procedure description. -
76- Repeat Procedure by Same Dentist: Use when the same dentist repeats the identical procedure subsequent to the original service, typically because the initial image was uninterpretable or a repeat was clinically necessary. -
Associated Provider Taxonomies:
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- Dentist: Represents licensed dentists providing diagnostic and operative dental services, including intraoral radiographic imaging.