What D7230 means

D7230 covers the removal of an impacted tooth — partially bony. "D" is dental, "72" is the surgical-extractions group of oral surgery, and "30" is this partially-bony impaction. An impacted tooth is one that hasn't fully erupted (it's stuck below the gum and/or bone, commonly a wisdom tooth). The impacted-tooth removal codes are tiered by the degree of impaction — what covers the tooth. A partially bony impaction (D7230) is when part of the crown is covered by bone (not just soft tissue) — more deeply impacted than a soft-tissue impaction (D7220, covered by gum only) but not fully encased in bone (D7240). Removing it requires raising a mucoperiosteal flap (lifting the gum) and removing some bone (the bone covering part of the crown) to access and remove the tooth.

So it's removing an impacted tooth with part of its crown covered by bone — requiring a flap and some bone removal.

D7230 is intermediate in the impaction tiering: soft tissue (D7220, gum only — least complex), partially bony (D7230, this code — part of crown covered by bone), completely bony (D7240 — most or all of crown covered by bone), and completely bony with unusual complications (D7241). The ADA's guidance interprets 'part of the crown' (partially bony) as less than about half the crown covered by bone, versus 'most or all' (completely bony) as at least about half. So D7230 is for an impacted tooth where bone covers part (but less than most) of the crown — intermediate in complexity (and fee) between the soft-tissue and completely-bony impactions. It's commonly used for partially-stuck wisdom teeth. The flap and bone removal make it more involved than a soft-tissue impaction. Coverage is under oral surgery benefits; documentation of the bone removal (the partially-bony nature) supports the claim.

When it's typically used

D7230 is reported for the removal of a partially bony impacted tooth — extracting an impacted tooth where part of the crown is covered by bone, requiring raising a soft-tissue flap and removing some bone to access and remove it. It's intermediate among the impaction codes (between soft-tissue D7220 and completely-bony D7240), commonly for partially-stuck wisdom teeth.

How much does D7230 cost?

Removing a partially bony impacted tooth is a significant fee, often roughly 300 to 600 USD per tooth depending on region — more than a soft-tissue impaction (the bone removal adding complexity), but less than a completely-bony impaction. For multiple impacted wisdom teeth, the cost multiplies (each coded). Sedation/anesthesia, if used, is typically separate.

Is D7230 covered by insurance?

Covered under oral surgery benefits as an impacted-tooth removal. Documentation of the partially-bony nature (part of the crown covered by bone, requiring bone removal) supports the claim and the coding — operative notes should mention the bone removal, as insurers may otherwise downgrade it to a soft-tissue impaction (a lower-paying code). The impaction codes are tiered by degree; coding the actual degree matters. Sedation, if used, may be coded separately. Verifying coverage helps.

What a partially bony impaction is

A partially bony impaction has part of the crown covered by bone, and understanding this clarifies this specific type.

Impacted teeth are classified by how deeply they're impacted — what covers the tooth. A partially bony impaction (D7230) is when part of the impacted tooth's crown is covered by bone (in addition to the soft tissue). So unlike a soft-tissue impaction (where the tooth is covered only by gum, with no bone over it), a partially bony impaction has some bone covering part of the crown — the tooth being more deeply impacted, partly encased in bone. To remove it, the dentist raises a mucoperiosteal flap (lifts the gum) and removes the bone covering part of the crown (to uncover and free the tooth), then removes the tooth (often with some sectioning). So a partially bony impaction requires bone removal (not just lifting the gum), making it more involved than a soft-tissue impaction.

The ADA's guidance helps interpret 'partially bony': the 'crown' here is the anatomical crown (the part of the tooth above the cemento-enamel junction), and 'part of the crown' covered by bone is interpreted as less than about half the crown covered by bone — versus a completely bony impaction (D7240), where most or all of the crown (at least about half) is covered by bone. So a partially bony impaction has bone over part (less than ~half) of the crown. This is a common degree of impaction for wisdom teeth that are partly stuck in the jawbone (covered by gum and some bone). The dentist assesses the degree (from the X-ray and clinically) and codes a partially bony impaction when bone covers part of the crown. For patients, understanding what a partially bony impaction is — an impacted tooth with part of its crown covered by bone (requiring bone removal), more than a soft-tissue impaction — clarifies this specific type. Bone covers part of the crown. The dentist removes the bone and the tooth. Understanding this helps patients see that a partially bony impaction (D7230) is an impacted tooth with part of its crown covered by bone (less than about half) — more deeply impacted than a soft-tissue (gum-only) impaction — requiring raising a flap and removing some bone to access and remove the tooth, an intermediate degree of impaction commonly seen with partly-stuck wisdom teeth.

The flap and bone removal

Removing a partially bony impaction involves a flap and bone removal, and understanding the process clarifies what's involved.

Removing a partially bony impacted tooth involves surgical steps to access and remove the tooth from the bone partly covering it. The process generally involves: anesthesia — numbing the area (local anesthesia, sometimes with sedation for comfort); raising a flap — lifting a mucoperiosteal flap (the gum and underlying tissue) to expose the area over the tooth; removing bone — removing the bone covering part of the crown (using surgical instruments), to uncover and free the tooth enough to remove it; sectioning the tooth (often) — cutting the tooth into pieces (e.g., separating the crown from roots) to remove it more easily through the available space (common for impacted teeth); removing the tooth — removing the tooth (or its sectioned pieces); and closing — cleaning the site, smoothing bone as needed, and closing the flap (often with sutures). So the procedure involves a flap, bone removal, usually some sectioning, and closure — surgical steps to remove the partly-bone-covered tooth.

These steps make a partially bony impaction more involved than a soft-tissue impaction (which requires a flap but little or no bone removal) — the bone removal being the key added step. It's less involved than a completely bony impaction (where more bone, covering most/all of the crown, must be removed). So the partially bony impaction is intermediate in the surgical effort (and complexity). The dentist/oral surgeon performs these steps to remove the tooth. After the procedure, there's aftercare and healing (similar to other surgical extractions). For patients, understanding that removing a partially bony impaction involves a flap and bone removal (and usually sectioning) clarifies what's involved. It's a surgical removal of a partly-bone-covered tooth. The dentist performs the steps. Understanding this helps patients see that removing a partially bony impacted tooth involves raising a flap, removing the bone covering part of the crown, usually sectioning the tooth, and closing the site — surgical steps to access and remove the partly-bone-covered tooth — more involved than a soft-tissue impaction (due to the bone removal), an intermediate-complexity procedure for a partly-stuck impacted tooth.

The tiered impaction codes

Impaction removal codes are tiered by degree, and understanding this clarifies where partially bony fits.

The removal of impacted teeth is coded by the degree of impaction (what covers the tooth), in a tiered structure reflecting increasing complexity. Soft-tissue impaction (D7220): the tooth is covered by soft tissue (gum) only — the least deeply impacted, requiring a flap but little/no bone removal (least complex, lowest fee). Partially bony impaction (D7230, this code): part of the crown (less than ~half) is covered by bone — requiring a flap and some bone removal (intermediate). Completely bony impaction (D7240): most or all of the crown (at least ~half) is covered by bone — requiring a flap and more extensive bone removal (more complex, higher fee). Completely bony with unusual complications (D7241): a completely bony impaction with unusual surgical complications (e.g., difficult position, proximity to nerves, unusual root anatomy) — the most complex. So the codes tier from soft-tissue (least) to completely bony with complications (most), by the degree of impaction.

The partially bony impaction (D7230) sits in the middle — more involved than soft-tissue (due to the bone removal) but less than completely bony (where more bone is removed). This tiering reflects that a more deeply impacted tooth (covered by more bone) is more complex to remove, so it's coded (and reimbursed) at a higher tier. The dentist codes by the actual degree of impaction — determined from the X-ray and the clinical assessment of how much bone covers the crown. Coding the correct degree matters for accurate billing and reimbursement (and documentation of the bone removal supports the bony-impaction codes). So D7230 specifically is for the partially-bony degree. The dentist uses the code matching the degree. For patients, understanding that the impaction codes are tiered by degree (soft tissue, partially bony, completely bony, completely bony with complications), with partially bony in the middle, clarifies where D7230 fits. The code reflects how deeply the tooth is impacted. The dentist codes by the degree. Understanding this helps patients see that impacted-tooth removals are tiered — soft-tissue (D7220), partially bony (D7230, intermediate), completely bony (D7240), and completely bony with complications (D7241) — reflecting increasing complexity, with the partially bony impaction (part of the crown covered by bone) in the middle, and the dentist coding by the actual degree of impaction (documenting the bone removal for the bony codes).

Partially bony impacted wisdom teeth

Partially bony impactions are common with wisdom teeth, and understanding this clarifies a common context.

The most common context for a partially bony impaction is wisdom teeth (third molars). Wisdom teeth often become impacted (lacking space to erupt, or angled wrongly), and a common degree of impaction is partially bony — the wisdom tooth partly stuck in the jawbone, with part of its crown covered by bone (and the rest by gum, or partly erupted). So a partially bony impacted wisdom tooth is a frequent scenario — the tooth needing a flap and bone removal to extract. Such wisdom teeth are commonly removed for problems (pain, infection like pericoronitis, crowding, difficulty cleaning, cysts, or damage to adjacent teeth) or preventively (before problems develop).

Removing partially bony impacted wisdom teeth is a common oral surgery procedure (by general dentists or oral surgeons). Often multiple wisdom teeth are removed (sometimes all four), each coded by its degree of impaction (which can vary — one tooth might be soft-tissue, another partially bony, another completely bony). Sedation or anesthesia may be used for comfort (and coded separately). After removal, there's aftercare and healing (managing the surgical sites). The dentist/oral surgeon removes partially bony impacted wisdom teeth when warranted. For patients, understanding that partially bony impactions are common with wisdom teeth — partly stuck in the jawbone, removed for problems or preventively — clarifies a common context for this code. Wisdom teeth often have this degree of impaction. The dentist removes them when warranted. Understanding this helps patients see that this code (D7230) is commonly used for partially bony impacted wisdom teeth — wisdom teeth partly stuck in the jawbone (part of the crown covered by bone), removed for problems (pain, infection, crowding, cysts) or preventively — a common oral surgery procedure, with the partially bony impaction (requiring a flap and bone removal) being a frequent degree of wisdom-tooth impaction, and multiple wisdom teeth often removed together (each coded by its own degree).

Frequently asked questions

What is the D7230 dental code?

It's the removal of a partially bony impacted tooth — extracting an impacted tooth where part of the crown is covered by bone, requiring raising a soft-tissue flap and removing some bone to access and remove it. It's intermediate among the impaction codes (between soft-tissue D7220 and completely-bony D7240), commonly for partly-stuck wisdom teeth.

What is a partially bony impaction?

An impacted tooth where part of the crown (interpreted as less than about half) is covered by bone — more deeply impacted than a soft-tissue (gum-only) impaction, but not fully encased in bone. Removing it requires a flap and removing some bone, plus usually sectioning the tooth.

How is it different from a soft-tissue impaction?

A soft-tissue impaction (D7220) is covered by gum only (no bone), requiring a flap but little/no bone removal. A partially bony impaction (D7230) has part of the crown covered by bone, requiring bone removal — more involved. The bone removal is the key added step.

How is it different from a completely bony impaction?

A partially bony impaction (D7230) has part of the crown (less than ~half) covered by bone. A completely bony impaction (D7240) has most or all of the crown (at least ~half) covered by bone — requiring more extensive bone removal, more complex (and higher-fee).

How much does it cost?

Often around 300 to 600 USD per tooth — more than a soft-tissue impaction (the bone removal adding complexity) but less than a completely-bony impaction. For multiple impacted wisdom teeth, the cost multiplies (each coded), and sedation is typically separate.

Is this used for wisdom teeth?

Yes, commonly — wisdom teeth often become partially bony impacted (partly stuck in the jawbone, part of the crown covered by bone) and are removed for problems (pain, infection, crowding, cysts) or preventively. Multiple wisdom teeth are often removed together, each coded by its degree of impaction.

This page is an independent, plain-language explanation for general information only. It is not billing, coding, or clinical advice. For the official CDT descriptor and current-year wording, refer to the American Dental Association.