D0240 — Occlusal Radiograph
D0240 is an intraoral X-ray taken with the film held between the teeth, giving a flat overhead view of an arch.
An occlusal image is taken from an unusual angle: the sensor sits between the teeth like a biting plate, and the beam comes from above or below. The result is a broad, flat view of an entire arch rather than a side-on view of a few teeth.
It is a niche image with two main uses. In small children it is often the only intraoral view that can be taken at all, because a periapical sensor does not fit comfortably. In adults it is used to localise things in the palate or the floor of the mouth — salivary stones, supernumerary teeth, foreign bodies, the extent of a cyst — because it gives a different plane than every other dental image.
When it is the right choice
Typical indications: a toddler with a suspected fracture of the front teeth after a fall, a child whose upper permanent incisors have not erupted and may be blocked by a mesiodens, a suspected salivary stone in the submandibular duct, or localising a root fragment left behind after an extraction.
Paired with a periapical taken from a conventional angle, it gives two views at right angles to each other, which is how position is determined without three-dimensional imaging.
How it compares to modern alternatives
A cone beam scan (D0367) answers most localisation questions more directly, but at higher cost and higher dose. For a straightforward question in a child, an occlusal image remains the proportionate choice — it is quick, cheap, and well tolerated.
It is reported per image, and it sits in the same annual imaging allowance as other intraoral films, so it counts against the same cap.
Questions about D0240
What is an occlusal dental X-ray?
An intraoral image taken with the sensor held between the teeth, producing a flat overhead view of an entire arch.
Why is an occlusal X-ray used for children?
A standard periapical sensor is often too large or too uncomfortable for a small child, while an occlusal film is easy to bite on and still shows the front teeth and palate.
Is D0240 covered by insurance?
Usually yes, at the diagnostic rate, counting against the same annual imaging allowance as other intraoral films.
Also known as: occlusal X-ray, bite film, paediatric radiograph, arch view.