Core buildup is a dental procedure used to restore missing tooth structure before crown placement, but the related code D2950 is often misapplied. Insurance coverage for core buildup is commonly denied unless clearly linked to crown placements or significant tooth damage. Outsourced dental billing services can help practices navigate frequent claim denials related to restoration procedures.

2. Core buildup is a restorative procedure where the missing portion
of the tooth is restored with a dental filling material in order to
support the crown restoration.
The code used for core buildup -- D2950 -- is often misused by
many dental practices.

3. for retention of intracoronal restorations
as a filler to correct irregularities in preparation
as a definitive composite or amalgam restoration

4. Code D2950 usually applies to teeth that do not have enough
tooth structure to support a crown. Payers may not provide
coverage for a buildup unless there is a crown being placed and
often times will not pay for the buildup without the seat date
of the crown provided.
Insurers may deny payment for these reasons
Claims for cracked tooth syndrome often get denied because radiographs do not show the cracks or
make it clearly visible.
Some dental plans cover crowns when the teeth are broken down and have extensive structural
damage. If the third-party payer doesn’t see evidence of that, the claim may be denied.
Claims may also be denied if the dental plan's consultant indicates that the tooth has a poor prognosis.

5. Applicable
CDT Codes
D2949 - Restorative foundation for an indirect restoration
D2950 - Core buildup, including any pins when required
D2951 - Pin retention – per tooth, in addition to restoration
D2952 - Post and core in addition to crown, indirectly fabricated
D2953 - Each additional indirectly fabricated post - same tooth
D2954 - Prefabricated post and core in addition to crown
D2955 - Post removal
D2957 - Each additional prefabricated post – same tooth
D2999 - Unspecified restorative procedure, by report

6. Claim denials can have a significant impact on patients and
dentists. Dental practices can rely on outsourced dental billing
services to overcome these challenges.

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