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Dental coding contest: A review of the ADA’s CDT Companion

CDT Kit and App

NOTE: This contest is now closed. Thank you to those who entered!

The ADA’s CDT companion is like the encyclopedia of dental procedures and nomenclature. How many times have you looked for a procedure code in your clinic computer program and you couldn’t quite pick a code that met your procedure in particular? Patients situations, diagnosis and your treatments are often difficult to categorize into a set list of codes. However, what many of us don’t know are that there are so many codes out there that we are unaware of. In dental school, we aren’t always taught the importance of coding, and coding with accuracy. If you aren’t careful about what you are coding, there can be severe consequences. There have been reported cases of dentists coding inaccurately and therefore suffering legal consequences. Understanding what you are charging the patient for, and what you are filing through insurance is extremely important.

Some facts about CDT that you may not know:

  • CDT stands for “current dental terminology” and is updated annually by the ADA.
  • The ADA also sells an app containing a complete listing of 2014 and 2015 CDT Codes including category of service, subcategory, procedure code, nomenclature, and descriptor. Search “CDT Code Check” in the iTunes or Google Play stores.
  • Types of procedures are arranged by code range. There are 12 categories in total, for each field of dentistry. For example, diagnostic procedures have a range of D0100-D0999, where perio services are D4000-D4999, endo is D3000-3999, removable prosthodontics are D5000-D5999 and oral & maxillofacial surgery is D7000-D7999.
  • Each procedure code consists of three parts. The first part is the procedure code, then the nomenclature, then the descriptor, which defines the procedure and gives a reason for its use. For example: D1351, sealant-per tooth – Mechanically and or chemically prepared enamel surface sealed to prevent decay.
  • The CDT 2015 has made notable changes this year to accommodate for new procedure and to better categorize our procedures. Starting in January 2015, these new revisions will take effect. For example, there is now a specific code for a re-evaluation post-op visit, known as D0171. This differs from the initial evaluation code that we are all familiar with, D0170. Another notable code change is D1353, a sealant repair. This is important so that the tooth is not refilled for another sealant code, but also is more specific than the old code used, (D1999) unspecified preventive procedure, by report. One last one I have to mention is the “missed appointment” (D9986), and “cancelled appointment” (D9987). These codes are important to keep track of your patients attendance history but are also important to the state Medicaid programs.
  • The CDT was developed in 1969 to create a single, dependable coding system for diagnosis and treatment nomenclature. New versions are made each year to accommodate the ever changing world of dental treatment and technology. The system allows insurance to receive claims that are consistent with what practitioners are doing in practice.
  • The 2015 CDT Manual is a resource every dental student and dentist would benefit from reading. One great thing about the book is that it not only provides you with the correct codes for diagnosis and procedures, but it also provides 26 day-to-day coding exercises as well as 150+ questions and answers on the CDT code. Not to mention, there is a CE credit quiz at the end that can be turned in for CE credit. As if that hasn’t got you interested already, the book also includes a how-to section in filing ADA dental claims. As a dental student, I really wish we had learned this in school before we had started clinic. However, now that I have read the CDT manual, my clinical understanding of coding will allow me to be a more effective, accurate and ethically sound practitioner.

Want your own copy of the CDT Manual for 2015? If you could make up any code, what would it be and why? If your response is our favorite, we’ll send you a CDT Manual ($75 value)!

*Contest closes Dec. 1 at 2pm CST.

You can get 25% off the member price of ADA catalog products just by being an ASDA member. Visit the ADA catalog by clicking here. Log in and use promo code 15801 at checkout to get your special discount on ADA catalog products (excluding Kindle and Nook books) through the end of 2015. ASDA member discount cannot be combined with any other offers.

~Neek LaMantia, San Francisco ’16, electronic editor

Neek LaMantia

Neek is a dental student at the University of California, San Francisco and ASDA's electronic editor. She works with bloggers to schedule content on Mouthing Off each week and also runs a personal blog called Say Yes to DDS.

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2 Comments

  1. Rakesh says:

    My code would be D5000. That would be code for a blinged out crown. 5001 would be a tooth tattoo.

  2. Priscila Quito Calderon says:

    D0911, “drug shopping”-seeking prescription medication for non-medical related reasons. I think this code is important because when healthcare providers read over the patient’s past medical history, they would be able to take the right precautions when providing pain medication.

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