D2642 — Porcelain onlay — two surfaces
An onlay is a lab-made or milled restoration that covers one or more cusps of a back tooth. D2642 is the two-surface version in porcelain.
It is the default code in a group of nine, and the one whose fee is normally quoted when this treatment is discussed. Our onlay guide covers the procedure in depth.
Below you will find what this code specifically requires, a realistic price range, the usual benefit handling, and where it stops applying and another code begins.
Reading D2642
Extent — two surfaces. Two surfaces means the restoration turns a corner and has to rebuild the contact against the neighbouring tooth. Recreating that contact — tight enough to hold floss, loose enough to let it pass — is what makes it harder than a one-surface repair, not the extra material.
Material — porcelain. Porcelain is a fired dental ceramic, chosen because it reflects and transmits light much as enamel does and because it does not stain. It is harder than enamel, so it holds a polish for decades, and brittle, so it depends on the strength of the bond underneath it and on an even bite to avoid chipping. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2642 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
D2642 compared with its closest relatives
D2643 — Porcelain onlay — three surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of two surfaces.
D2644 — Porcelain onlay — four or more surfaces: It covers four or more surfaces instead of two surfaces.
D2662 — Composite onlay — two surfaces: It specifies tooth-coloured composite resin rather than porcelain.
D2663 — Composite onlay — three surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of two surfaces.
D2642 sits in a group of nine codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A plan reads these codes as definitions, not as descriptions. If the notes for the visit do not match D2642 exactly, the claim is assessed as whichever of these the notes do match.
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 |
|---|---|
| D2642 | Porcelain onlay — two surfaces — this page |
| D2542 | Metallic onlay — two surfaces |
| D2543 | Metallic onlay — three surfaces |
| D2544 | Metallic onlay — four or more 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 D2642
What does dental code D2642 mean?
D2642 records porcelain onlay, two surfaces — one of the restorative codes.
What is the typical fee for D2642?
$1,170–$2,470 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Does dental insurance cover D2642?
Most plans include it under major benefits, typically 50%. A pre-treatment estimate is the only way to know your own number in advance.
What is the difference between D2642 and D2643?
D2643 is porcelain onlay, three surfaces: it covers three surfaces 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: onlay, partial crown, cusp coverage, indirect restoration, cracked tooth restoration.