D2150 — Amalgam filling — two surfaces
Amalgam is the silver-grey filling material that generations of dentists used as the default for back teeth. D2150 is the two-surface version.
four codes describe amalgam restoration, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other three is the subject of this page; the amalgam restoration guide covers the treatment itself.
What follows: the specifics built into the number, the money, the benefit treatment, and the line separating it from the codes it is easiest to confuse it with.
What has to be true for D2150 to apply
Extent — two surfaces. Two surfaces puts the margin of the restoration down between the teeth, where it cannot be inspected directly and where recurrent decay is hardest to spot. That is why this size is checked on X-rays rather than by eye.
Material — silver-grey amalgam. Amalgam is an alloy of silver, tin and copper bound with mercury, mixed at the chairside and packed into the cavity, where it sets hard. It is not bonded to the tooth — it is held by the shape of the preparation — which is why amalgam cavities are cut with slightly undercut walls and take a little more healthy tooth with them. In exchange it tolerates moisture, costs less than anything else, and routinely lasts two decades under heavy load. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2150 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Where the line falls between D2150 and the rest
D2140 — Amalgam filling — one surface (silver filling): It covers a single surface instead of two surfaces.
D2160 — Amalgam filling — three surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of two surfaces.
D2161 — Amalgam filling — four or more surfaces: It covers four or more surfaces instead of two surfaces.
Those three codes and D2150 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. The descriptions differ by a few words and the fees differ by a great deal, which is why mixing them up is one of the commonest billing errors in dentistry. Ask which of these codes is being submitted and why.
Every code in this group
These codes describe the same broad procedure and differ in one respect each. Each has its own page with its own fee range and coverage notes.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D2150 | Amalgam filling — two surfaces — this page |
| D2140 | Amalgam filling — one surface (silver filling) |
| D2160 | Amalgam filling — three surfaces |
| D2161 | Amalgam filling — four or more surfaces |
Questions about D2150
What does dental code D2150 mean?
Amalgam filling, two surfaces, reported under a single restorative code.
What should I expect to pay for D2150?
$145–$375 is the realistic range before benefits. Your own share depends on your plan's percentage, deductible and remaining annual maximum.
How do dental plans handle D2150?
Usually yes, as basic treatment at typically 70–80% after deductible — but coverage turns on your own policy, its annual maximum and any waiting period.
What is the difference between D2150 and D2140?
D2140 is amalgam filling, one surface, silver filling: it covers a single surface instead of two surfaces. That one difference is the whole distinction; the chair time, the materials and the appointment sequence are the same either way.
Also known as: silver filling, amalgam, metal filling, back tooth filling.