CPT code 42310 denotes an intraoral surgical incision and drainage of an abscess involving the submaxillary (submandibular) or sublingual salivary gland. This procedure addresses acute infections that produce fluctuance and pus collection under the oral mucosa, and it has implications for both acute care surgical services and outpatient otolaryngology or oral and maxillofacial practice. Nationally, accurate coding for this procedure ensures appropriate tracking of surgical utilization, resource planning for operating rooms and procedural suites, and alignment with payer policies for surgical drainage procedures.

Key payers covered in this analysis include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, UnitedHealthcare, and Medicare. Readers will find an overview of clinical context and typical settings for the service, a summary of common billing modifiers reported with this code, and guidance on what information is available versus not provided in the input. The publication also highlights benchmarking and policy-relevant topics readers can expect, such as billing frequency, typical sites of service, and payer coverage considerations at a national level. Data not available in the input are clearly noted, including specific ICD-10 diagnosis pairings, associated taxonomies, and related procedure codes.