D2520 — Metallic inlay — two surfaces
An inlay is a restoration made outside the mouth and then cemented into a prepared cavity. D2520 is the two-surface version in cast metal, with no ceramic layer.
This code belongs to a set of nine covering inlay. The clinical detail lives in the inlay guide; the code-level detail is here.
What the number specifies, what it costs, what your plan is likely to do with it, and the named differences between it and the codes around it — in that order.
The conditions built into D2520
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 — cast metal, with no ceramic layer. A one-piece metal casting with nothing fired over it. Metal can be made far thinner than ceramic at the same strength, so less of the tooth has to be reduced, and the margins can be finished more closely than with any other material. It is obviously metallic, which limits it to positions where that does not matter. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2520 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D2510 — Metallic inlay — one surface: It covers a single surface instead of two surfaces.
D2530 — Metallic inlay — three or more surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of two surfaces.
D2610 — Porcelain inlay — one surface: It covers a single surface instead of two surfaces.
D2620 — Porcelain inlay — two surfaces: It specifies porcelain rather than cast metal, with no ceramic layer.
D2520 sits in a group of nine codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A single word separates several of these codes, and a payer reads that word literally. If the record does not support D2520 specifically, the claim comes back — usually repriced to whichever neighbouring code the reviewer thinks was actually performed.
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 |
|---|---|
| D2520 | Metallic inlay — two surfaces — this page |
| D2510 | Metallic inlay — one surface |
| D2530 | Metallic inlay — three or more surfaces |
| D2610 | Porcelain inlay — one surface |
| D2620 | Porcelain inlay — two surfaces |
| D2630 | Porcelain inlay — three or more surfaces |
| D2650 | Composite inlay — one surface |
| D2651 | Composite inlay — two surfaces |
| D2652 | Composite inlay — three or more surfaces |
Questions about D2520
What procedure is D2520?
Read literally, D2520 means metallic inlay, two surfaces — and payers do read it literally.
How much does D2520 cost?
Between $865–$1,860 in most practices — and that is the figure before any benefit is applied, not what you would pay at the desk.
How do dental plans handle D2520?
Expect major handling — typically 50%. Submitting an estimate first turns that percentage into a number you can rely on.
What is the difference between D2520 and D2510?
D2510 is metallic inlay, one surface: it covers a single surface instead of two surfaces. The rest of the procedure is the same, which is why the two get substituted for one another on estimates.
Also known as: inlay, indirect restoration, lab-made filling, ceramic inlay, gold inlay.