Summary & Overview
CDT D7210: Surgical Extraction of Erupted Tooth Involving Bone Removal
Headline: CDT code D7210: Surgical Extraction of Erupted Tooth Involving Bone Removal
CDT code D7210 denotes a surgical extraction procedure for an erupted tooth that necessitates removal of bone and/or sectioning of the tooth, and incorporates elevation, gingival and bone cutting, limited socket smoothing, and closure. This code captures more complex extractions than routine forceps removals and is used in dental surgical billing nationally to distinguish resource intensity and appropriate service documentation.
Major national payers addressed include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. Readers will find a focused review of clinical context for surgical extractions, how D7210 is positioned relative to related extraction codes, payer coverage considerations, and common billing scenarios that affect service line classification. The publication provides benchmarks for coding selection, highlights documentation elements that typically accompany surgical extraction claims, and outlines common diagnosis categories that align with this procedure code.
This summary is intended for dental billing professionals, practice managers, and policy analysts who need a concise reference to the clinical and billing meaning of CDT code D7210, how it differs from less invasive extraction codes, and which payers are commonly involved in coverage decisions. Data not available in the input for specific reimbursement rates or payer-specific policy details.
Billing Code Overview
CDT code D7210 describes an extraction of an erupted tooth that requires removal of bone and/or sectioning of the tooth and includes elevation. The procedure includes related cutting of gingiva and bone, removal of tooth structure, minor smoothing of socket bone, and closure.
Service Type: Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (dental surgical procedure)
Typical Site of Service: Dental Office (POS 11)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A 32-year-old patient presents to a dental office (POS 11) with pain and difficulty chewing related to a fully erupted but structurally compromised molar. Clinical exam and radiographs demonstrate extensive tooth structure loss with periodontal involvement and possible periapical pathology. After local anesthesia, the oral and maxillofacial surgeon or dentist performs a surgical extraction requiring removal of alveolar bone and sectioning of the tooth to facilitate removal. The procedure includes elevation, cutting of gingiva and bone as needed, removal of tooth structure, minor smoothing of the socket bone, and closure. Typical workflow: evaluation and radiographs, informed consent, local anesthesia (with or without sedation per practice policies), surgical extraction documented as CDT code D7210, intraoperative findings and technique recorded, postoperative instructions and analgesia provided, and follow-up arranged for healing assessment.
Coding Specifications
-
Common Modifiers
-
22- Increased Procedural Services: Use when the work required to perform the surgical extraction is substantially greater than typically required for CDT codeD7210, and appropriate supporting documentation describes and justifies the increased effort. -
52- Reduced Services: Use when the surgical extraction described by CDT codeD7210is partially reduced or eliminated at the physician’s or dentist’s discretion; documentation must note the reduced nature of the service.