What D7297 means

D7297 covers a corticotomy involving four or more teeth or tooth spaces, per quadrant. "D" is dental, "72" is this oral surgery group, and "97" is this larger corticotomy. It's the same type of procedure as D7296 (a corticotomy — making selective cuts in the cortical/outer jaw bone around teeth, to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic tooth movement) but for a more extensive case: four or more teeth (or tooth spaces) in a quadrant (versus D7296's one to three). So it's distinguished from D7296 only by the extent (more teeth/spaces involved per quadrant). A corticotomy around 4+ teeth in a quadrant is more extensive than around 1-3 (more bone cutting, more area), hence the separate code.

So it's the larger corticotomy — surgical cuts in the outer jaw bone around four or more teeth (in a quadrant) to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic tooth movement — like D7296 but for more teeth.

As with D7296, a corticotomy (D7297) is used to facilitate orthodontic treatment ('accelerated orthodontics') — the cuts in the cortical bone trigger the regional acceleratory phenomenon (heightened bone remodeling in the area), allowing teeth to move faster (and sometimes more extensively) during the orthodontics. D7297 covers a corticotomy spanning more teeth in a quadrant (e.g., a corticotomy across most or all of a quadrant), which is common when accelerating the movement of a larger segment of teeth. It's performed by an oral surgeon or periodontist in coordination with the orthodontist, and may be combined with bone grafting (in approaches like PAOO). The 'per quadrant, 4+ teeth/spaces' basis (vs D7296's 1-3) reflects the larger extent. Coverage varies (it's adjunctive to orthodontics); documentation of the corticotomy (the teeth/spaces, per quadrant) and its purpose supports the claim. For full details on what a corticotomy is and how it works, see D7296 (the same procedure, smaller extent).

When it's typically used

D7297 is reported for a corticotomy (surgical cuts in the cortical jaw bone around teeth, to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic movement) involving four or more teeth or tooth spaces in a quadrant — the larger corticotomy. It's used in conjunction with orthodontic treatment ('accelerated orthodontics'), like D7296 but for more teeth (4+) per quadrant.

How much does D7297 cost?

A larger corticotomy (4+ teeth/spaces per quadrant) is a moderate-to-significant fee, often roughly 800 to 2,000+ USD per quadrant depending on region — more than the smaller corticotomy (D7296, 1-3 teeth/spaces), reflecting the more extensive procedure (more teeth/area). It's an adjunct to orthodontic treatment (a separate cost), and may be combined with bone grafting (additional). Verify your specific coverage.

Is D7297 covered by insurance?

Coverage varies — a corticotomy is an adjunctive surgical procedure associated with orthodontic treatment (which has its own, often limited, coverage considerations). Documentation of the corticotomy (the four or more teeth/spaces involved, per quadrant) and its purpose (facilitating orthodontic movement) supports the claim. It's distinguished from the smaller corticotomy (D7296, 1-3 teeth/spaces). Some plans may not cover it. Verifying coverage helps.

The larger corticotomy

D7297 is the larger corticotomy, and understanding this clarifies the code.

D7297 is the larger corticotomy — and understanding this clarifies the code. It's the same procedure as D7296 (a corticotomy — selective cuts in the cortical/outer jaw bone around teeth, to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic tooth movement), distinguished only by the extent: a corticotomy involving 1-3 teeth/spaces per quadrant → D7296; 4 or more teeth/spaces per quadrant → D7297. So D7297 is for a corticotomy spanning more teeth (4+) in a quadrant. The procedure and purpose are the same as D7296 — the difference is just how many teeth/spaces in the quadrant the corticotomy covers.

A corticotomy around 4 or more teeth in a quadrant is more extensive than one around 1-3 — it involves cutting the cortical bone over a larger area (around more teeth), which is more surgical work (a larger flap, more bone cutting). This larger extent is common when the orthodontic plan involves moving (and accelerating) a larger segment of teeth — e.g., a corticotomy across most or all of a quadrant to facilitate the movement of many teeth there. So D7297 captures the more extensive corticotomy (per quadrant). The surgeon codes D7297 when 4+ teeth/spaces in a quadrant are involved. For patients, understanding that D7297 is the larger corticotomy clarifies the code. It's the larger one (4+ teeth). The surgeon codes it by the extent. Understanding this helps patients see that D7297 is the larger corticotomy — the same procedure as D7296 (selective cuts in the cortical jaw bone around teeth to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic movement), distinguished only by the extent (4 or more teeth/spaces per quadrant, vs D7296's 1-3) — so it covers a corticotomy spanning more teeth in a quadrant (more bone cutting over a larger area), common when accelerating the movement of a larger segment of teeth, with the surgeon coding D7297 when 4+ teeth/spaces in a quadrant are involved.

Accelerated orthodontics for a larger segment

A larger corticotomy accelerates movement of more teeth, and understanding this clarifies its use.

A larger corticotomy (D7297) is used to accelerate the orthodontic movement of a larger segment of teeth — and understanding this clarifies its use. As with any corticotomy, the cuts trigger the regional acceleratory phenomenon (heightened bone remodeling), which speeds tooth movement. When the orthodontic treatment involves moving many teeth (a larger segment — e.g., aligning a whole arch segment, or making more extensive movements across a quadrant), a corticotomy spanning those teeth (4+, D7297) accelerates the movement across that whole segment. So the larger corticotomy matches a treatment plan involving more teeth/movement. This is common in comprehensive accelerated orthodontic cases (where the goal is to speed up — and sometimes expand the scope of — significant orthodontic movement).

The approaches and benefits are the same as for the smaller corticotomy (faster treatment, sometimes more extensive movement, possibly combined with grafting in techniques like PAOO) — just applied over more teeth. The coordination with the orthodontist is likewise important (the timing of the orthodontic forces with the accelerated phase), and may span multiple quadrants for a full-arch or full-mouth accelerated case (with the appropriate code — D7296 or D7297 — reported per quadrant based on the teeth there). So a larger corticotomy serves larger-segment accelerated orthodontics. The team coordinates it. For patients, understanding that a larger corticotomy accelerates movement of more teeth clarifies its use. It speeds a larger segment. The team coordinates it. Understanding this helps patients see that a larger corticotomy (D7297) is used to accelerate the orthodontic movement of a larger segment of teeth — the cuts triggering heightened bone remodeling across more teeth (4+) to speed their movement — common in comprehensive accelerated orthodontic cases (aligning or moving a larger segment or quadrant), with the same approaches and benefits as the smaller corticotomy (faster, sometimes more extensive movement, possibly with grafting) applied over more teeth, coordinated with the orthodontist and potentially spanning multiple quadrants (the appropriate per-quadrant code reported for each).

Per-quadrant coding across the mouth

Corticotomy is coded per quadrant, and understanding this clarifies multi-quadrant cases.

The corticotomy codes are reported per quadrant, which matters for cases spanning multiple quadrants — and understanding this clarifies the coding. The mouth is divided into four quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left). The corticotomy codes (D7296 for 1-3 teeth/spaces, D7297 for 4+) are each 'per quadrant' — so the code reflects the corticotomy done within one quadrant, based on the number of teeth/spaces there. For a corticotomy spanning multiple quadrants (e.g., a full-arch or full-mouth accelerated orthodontic case), the appropriate code is reported for each quadrant — choosing D7296 or D7297 for each quadrant based on how many teeth/spaces in that quadrant are involved. So a multi-quadrant corticotomy is coded as the per-quadrant codes for each quadrant.

For example, a corticotomy across an entire arch (involving many teeth in both quadrants of that arch) might be reported as D7297 (4+) for each of the two quadrants; a more limited corticotomy in just part of one quadrant would be D7296 (1-3) for that one quadrant. So the coding builds up from the per-quadrant basis. This is consistent with how other per-quadrant codes work (e.g., alveoloplasty). The surgeon documents and codes the corticotomy for each quadrant involved. So the per-quadrant coding handles cases of any extent across the mouth. The surgeon codes per quadrant. For patients, understanding the per-quadrant coding clarifies multi-quadrant cases. It's coded per quadrant. The surgeon codes each one. Understanding this helps patients see that the corticotomy codes are reported per quadrant (the mouth divided into four quadrants), with D7296 (1-3 teeth/spaces) or D7297 (4+) chosen for each quadrant based on the teeth/spaces there — so a corticotomy spanning multiple quadrants (e.g., a full-arch case) is reported as the appropriate per-quadrant code for each quadrant involved (e.g., D7297 for each quadrant of an arch with many teeth) — building up from the per-quadrant basis (consistent with other per-quadrant codes like alveoloplasty), with the surgeon documenting and coding the corticotomy for each quadrant.

Shared considerations with D7296

D7297 shares the considerations of a corticotomy, and understanding this clarifies the care.

D7297 shares all the considerations of a corticotomy (covered under D7296) — and understanding this clarifies the care. Since D7297 is the same procedure as D7296 (just more extensive), everything about corticotomies applies: the mechanism (the cuts triggering the regional acceleratory phenomenon to facilitate tooth movement); the use (an adjunct to accelerate orthodontic treatment, coordinated with the orthodontist); the possible combination with bone grafting (in approaches like PAOO); and the surgical nature (a flap, healing, post-operative care, the risks/benefits of an elective adjunctive surgery). For a larger corticotomy (D7297), these considerations apply over a larger area (more teeth) — so the procedure is correspondingly more extensive (a larger surgical field, potentially more post-operative swelling/recovery, and — if combined with grafting — more grafting). So the considerations scale with the larger extent.

As with the smaller corticotomy, the appropriateness is assessed by the providers (the surgeon/periodontist and orthodontist), who evaluate whether accelerated orthodontics (and the corticotomy) is suitable for the case and patient, and explain the procedure, benefits, and considerations. The decision is individualized. So D7297 involves the same considerations as a corticotomy, scaled to the larger extent. The team manages it. For patients, understanding that D7297 shares the corticotomy considerations clarifies the care. It's the same, but larger. The team manages it. Understanding this helps patients see that D7297 shares all the considerations of a corticotomy (detailed under D7296) — the mechanism (triggering heightened bone remodeling to facilitate tooth movement), the use (an adjunct to accelerate orthodontics, coordinated with the orthodontist), the possible combination with bone grafting (PAOO), and the surgical nature (flap, healing, post-operative care, risks/benefits) — applied over a larger area (more teeth) for D7297, so the procedure is correspondingly more extensive (larger field, potentially more recovery, more grafting if combined), with the providers assessing the appropriateness of accelerated orthodontics for the individual case and managing the care.

Frequently asked questions

What is the D7297 dental code?

It's a corticotomy involving four or more teeth or tooth spaces, per quadrant — the larger corticotomy. Like D7296 (1-3 teeth/spaces), it's surgical cuts in the cortical (outer) jaw bone around teeth to facilitate/accelerate orthodontic tooth movement — D7297 just covers a more extensive corticotomy (4+ teeth/spaces per quadrant).

How is it different from D7296?

Both are corticotomies (the same procedure), distinguished only by extent — D7296 is for 1-3 teeth or tooth spaces per quadrant, and D7297 is for four or more. D7297 is the larger corticotomy (more bone cutting over a larger area), common when accelerating the movement of a larger segment of teeth.

What is a corticotomy for?

To facilitate and accelerate orthodontic tooth movement. The cuts in the cortical bone trigger the body's regional remodeling response (temporarily increasing bone turnover), letting teeth move faster through the bone during orthodontic treatment — the basis of 'accelerated orthodontics.' It's an adjunct to braces/aligners, not a replacement.

How is it coded for a full-arch case?

Per quadrant — the appropriate code (D7296 or D7297) is reported for each quadrant based on the teeth/spaces there. A corticotomy across a whole arch (many teeth in both quadrants) might be D7297 for each of the two quadrants. The coding builds up from the per-quadrant basis.

Is bone grafting involved?

Sometimes — in approaches like periodontally accelerated osteogenic orthodontics (PAOO), bone grafting is done at the same time as the corticotomy to augment the bone around the teeth. For a larger corticotomy (D7297), more grafting may be involved. That grafting is an additional procedure (with its own code).

How much does it cost, and is it covered?

Often around 800 to 2,000+ USD per quadrant, more than the smaller corticotomy (D7296), reflecting the more extensive procedure. It's an adjunct to orthodontics (a separate cost), and may be combined with grafting. Coverage varies — it's associated with orthodontics (often limited coverage). Verify your specific coverage.

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.