When you go to the dentist for a cleaning, tooth extraction or another service, your dentist’s office uses codes to identity the procedures you received and how much those procedures cost. The billing codes were created by the American Dental Association (ADA), an organization thatrepresents more than 161,000 dentists.
The next time you encounter ADA dental codes, you can use them to determine how much money you owe your dentist. Before you start interpreting codes, though, you should learn a little more about their benefits and why dentists use them.
Why Dentists Use Dental Codes
Most dentists use dental codes because it gives them a relatively simple way to track the procedures they provide, which also makes it easier for them to send patients accurate bills. Insurance companies also use the dental codes, so dentists can submit their invoices to dental insurance providers to get reimbursed for their services.
The best thing about ADA dental codes is that they’re universal. All dentists who belong to the ADA useD0210 to represent a complete series of radiographic images. All of them use D1206 when they apply fluoride varnishes.
How to Use Codes to Evaluate Your Dental Bills
If you have access to the dental codes used to generate your bill, then you can evaluate the bill for accuracy and inconsistencies. Assuming that you don’t have insurance, the code will tell you how much you should expect to pay for the services you receive. If you have insurance, then your policy should cover some of the cost.
Once you have your dental codes, visitFair Health Consumerto find the going rate for specific procedures in your area. In Manhattan, code D2391 (getting a white filling for one surface of a back tooth) should cost $350. Code D6057 (getting a prefabricated connection to an implant) should cost $1,365.
If your bill doesn’t match the charges associated with your dental codes, then you should talk to your dentist about the discrepancy or consider finding a doctor who follows the pricing structure more closely.
DentalSave Can Help You Save Money on Dental Services
No matter where you live, you can count on a DentalSave membership to help you save money on the dental procedures and services you get from participating doctors.
You can learn how much you’ll save byreading DentalSave’s fee schedule. According to DentalSave’s fee schedule, the regular fee for a periodic oral evaluation by an established partner (code D0120) is $41.60. As a DentalSave member, you only pay $18.50 for the service.
Code D0210 (a complete series of radiographic images) costs regular patients $109.60. DentalSave members, however, pay just $49.50, a savings of $60.10.
If a regular fee for a code isn’t listed, then DentalSave will take 25 percent off of your bill.
The prices of dental services, procedures and devices vary from place to place. Someone going to a dentist in Manhattan will pay a higher price than someone going to a dentist in Harlington, Texas, a town with one of the lowest costs of living in the country.
Even though there are variations in fee schedules, you can still use DentalSave’s fee schedule to anticipate how much you will save once you become a member.
Become a DentalSave member todayso you can start saving money on dental procedures for yourself and your family. All DentalSave plans have fixed rates, so you know exactly how much you have to pay for a membership that will save you at least 25 percent on dental services.
