Summary & Overview
CDT D7140: Extraction of Erupted Tooth or Exposed Root
Headline: CDT code D7140: Simple Extraction of Erupted Tooth or Exposed Root
Lead: CDT code D7140 represents the common dental procedure for extraction of an erupted tooth or exposed root using elevation and/or forceps. It is a routine, non-surgical service integral to dental practice workflows and patient management across payers nationally.
What the code represents and why it matters: CDT code D7140 is used to bill for simple extractions where the tooth or root is erupted or otherwise accessible for forceps or elevator removal. This code matters because tooth extractions are frequent procedures with clear clinical indications ranging from decay and infection to trauma, and they influence practice coding, coverage determinations, and patient out-of-pocket costs.
Key payers covered: The analysis covers major national commercial payers including Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare.
What readers will learn: The publication provides clinical context for when D7140 is applicable, comparisons to related extraction codes for different surgical complexity levels, typical site-of-service expectations, and common diagnosis linkages. It also outlines billing considerations commonly encountered with this code and notes where input data is missing for service line details. Data not available in the input for specific service line metadata is identified where relevant.
Billing Code Overview
CDT code D7140 denotes Extraction of an erupted tooth or exposed root performed by elevation and/or forceps removal. This procedure is classified under Dentistry services and typically occurs in a dental office (POS 11). The code describes a non-surgical tooth extraction for erupted teeth or roots that are accessible without additional surgical intervention. If specific service line details are required, Data not available in the input.
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 28-year-old patient presents to a dental office (POS 11) with localized tooth pain and radiographic evidence of a non-restorable erupted tooth with exposed root and periapical radiolucency. After clinical assessment and informed consent, local anesthesia is administered, and the clinician performs elevation and/or forceps removal of the erupted tooth. Hemostasis is achieved, post-extraction instructions are given, and a follow-up appointment is scheduled if signs of infection or delayed healing occur. Typical workflow includes history and examination, tooth mobility and pathology assessment, imaging (intraoral radiograph), anesthesia, extraction (CDT code D7140), post-op instructions, and documentation of findings and any specimen disposition.
Coding Specifications
-
Modifiers
-
D: Dental procedures — Used to indicate dental procedure context when required by payer or internal billing systems; applied according to payer rules for dental-specific modifiers. -
52: Reduced Services — Used when the service performed is a reduction of the full service described by the CDT code (for example, extraction attempted but completed in a reduced manner). Use according to payer guidelines when documenting that fewer resources or a truncated procedure was rendered. -
Provider taxonomies and specialties