Summary & Overview
CDT D2140: Amalgam, One Surface, Primary or Permanent
CDT code D2140 denotes a single-surface amalgam restoration for primary or permanent teeth, a common restorative dental procedure used to repair decay or minor tooth damage. Nationally, this code matters because it captures a routine restorative service that influences utilization patterns, coverage policies, and adjudication practices across dental and medical payers. It is also a benchmark for comparing alternative restorative materials and clinical approaches.
Key payers in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. Readers will find coverage and billing context for these major commercial payers, including typical sites of service and clinical indications that justify the procedure. The overview covers how D2140 fits within restorative coding, relationships to adjacent restorative codes, and common diagnostic reasons for use.
This publication provides practical insights into coding specificity, common clinical contexts for use, and payer coverage considerations relevant to dental practices, billing teams, and policy analysts. It highlights where more detailed policy or documentation guidance may be needed and notes when input data is missing. Data not available in the input is identified where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CDT code D2140 represents amalgam restoration of one surface on a primary or permanent tooth. This dental procedure involves placing a silver amalgam filling to restore tooth structure lost to decay or minor fracture.
Service Type: Dentistry
Typical Site of Service: Dental Office (POS 11)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A pediatric or adult patient presents to a dental office (POS 11) with a single-surface carious lesion on a primary or permanent molar identified on clinical exam and confirmed with bitewing radiographs. The patient reports localized sensitivity to thermal stimuli and chewing but no signs of irreversible pulpal involvement or acute infection. The dentist administers local anesthesia as appropriate, isolates the tooth with cotton rolls or a rubber dam, removes carious tooth structure, prepares a conservative cavity for an amalgam restoration, places and contours a single-surface amalgam, and evaluates occlusion and finishing. Typical workflow includes charting the diagnosis (for example, caries), documenting informed consent, performing the operative procedure, recording materials used (amalgam), and scheduling follow-up as needed.
Coding Specifications
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CDT code
D2140: Amalgam - one surface, primary or permanent. -
Common Modifiers:
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52- Reduced Services: Used when the service provided is less than described byD2140(for example, procedure started but not completed to full scope). -
76- Repeat Procedure by Same Dentist: Used when the identical procedureD2140is repeated by the same dentist on the same date of service due to documented failure or need for replacement.