D2544 — Metallic onlay — four or more surfaces
An onlay is a lab-made or milled restoration that covers one or more cusps of a back tooth. D2544 is the four-or-more-surface version in cast metal, with no ceramic layer.
This code belongs to a set of nine covering onlay. The clinical detail lives in the onlay 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 specifics of D2544
Extent — four or more surfaces. At four surfaces or more the restoration effectively replaces the crown of the tooth while still relying on bonding or mechanical grip rather than wrapping the tooth. Many dentists will recommend an onlay or crown at this size instead.
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 D2544 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
D2544 compared with its closest relatives
D2543 — Metallic onlay — three surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of four or more surfaces.
D2542 — Metallic onlay — two surfaces: It covers two surfaces instead of four or more surfaces.
D2642 — Porcelain onlay — two surfaces: It covers two surfaces instead of four or more surfaces.
D2643 — Porcelain onlay — three surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of four or more surfaces.
D2544 sits in a group of nine codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. There is no penalty for asking which of these is planned, and there is a real cost to finding out from an explanation of benefits weeks later.
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 |
|---|---|
| D2544 | Metallic onlay — four or more surfaces — this page |
| D2542 | Metallic onlay — two surfaces |
| D2543 | Metallic onlay — three surfaces |
| D2642 | Porcelain onlay — two surfaces |
| D2643 | Porcelain onlay — three surfaces |
| D2644 | Porcelain onlay — four or more surfaces |
| D2662 | Composite onlay — two surfaces |
| D2663 | Composite onlay — three surfaces |
| D2664 | Composite onlay — four or more surfaces |
Questions about D2544
D2544 — what is it?
Metallic onlay, four or more surfaces, reported under a single restorative code.
What is the typical fee for D2544?
Usually somewhere in $1,345–$2,835 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Will my plan pay for D2544?
Yes on most policies, treated as major work at typically 50%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D2544 and D2543?
D2543 is metallic onlay, three surfaces: it covers three surfaces instead of four or more surfaces. Nothing else separates them, which is exactly why a claim submitted under the wrong one of the two is such a common correction.
Also known as: onlay, partial crown, cusp coverage, indirect restoration, cracked tooth restoration.