Sponsor special offers:

The Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature

Accurate recording and reporting of dental treatment is supported by a set of ADA dental codes that:

1. have a standard format
2. are at the appropriate level of specificity
3. can be applied uniformly
4. are used to report dental procedures provided under public and private dental insurance benefit plans

In addition, the code set should contain the appropriate number of procedure codes that adequately encompass commonly accepted dental procedures.

The Code and HIPAA

On August 17, 2000 the Code was named as a HIPAA standard code set. Any claim submitted on a HIPAA standard electronic dental claim must use dental procedure code from the version of the Code in effect on the date of service.

The Code is also used on dental claims submitted on paper, and the ADA maintains a paper claim form whose data content reflects the HIPAA standard electronic dental claim.

Current CDT Code Version – 2009/2010

The Code is periodically reviewed and revised to reflect the dynamic changes in dental procedures that are recognized by organized dentistry and the dental community as a whole. Revisions to the Code are published and effective biennially, at the start of odd-numbered years.

The version of the Code that is effective January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010 is published by the ADA in the manual titled CDT 2009/2010.

CDT is a registered trademark of the American Dental Association