D2650 — Composite inlay — one surface
An inlay is a restoration made outside the mouth and then cemented into a prepared cavity. D2650 is the single-surface version in tooth-coloured composite resin.
One of nine inlay codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the inlay guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
Four things follow: the conditions, the cost, the coverage, and the difference between this code and each one it sits beside.
The conditions built into D2650
Extent — a single surface. One surface is the smallest restoration that gets its own code. Everything the dentist does stays within one face of the tooth, which is why it is the cheapest line in the group.
Material — tooth-coloured composite resin. Composite is a resin filled with glass particles, placed soft and hardened with a blue curing light in layers. It bonds chemically to enamel and dentine, so the preparation can follow the decay instead of being cut to a retentive shape, and less sound tooth is lost. The trade-offs are technique sensitivity — the tooth has to be dry and isolated for the bond to work — and a shorter working life than amalgam under heavy chewing load, typically seven to twelve years on a back tooth. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2650 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Counted — per site rather than per tooth. What counts as a single site is the detail that gets argued about on these claims.
Where the line falls between D2650 and the rest
D2651 — Composite inlay — two surfaces: It covers two surfaces instead of a single surface.
D2652 — Composite inlay — three or more surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of a single surface.
D2630 — Porcelain inlay — three or more surfaces: It covers three surfaces instead of a single surface.
D2620 — Porcelain inlay — two surfaces: It covers two surfaces instead of a single surface.
D2650 sits in a group of nine codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. If an estimate lists D2650 and the treatment that follows matches a neighbouring code instead, the office has to resubmit — which delays the payment rather than increasing it.
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 |
|---|---|
| D2650 | Composite inlay — one surface — this page |
| D2510 | Metallic inlay — one surface |
| D2520 | Metallic inlay — two surfaces |
| D2530 | Metallic inlay — three or more surfaces |
| D2610 | Porcelain inlay — one surface |
| D2620 | Porcelain inlay — two surfaces |
| D2630 | Porcelain inlay — three or more surfaces |
| D2651 | Composite inlay — two surfaces |
| D2652 | Composite inlay — three or more surfaces |
Questions about D2650
What procedure is D2650?
D2650 is shorthand for composite inlay, one surface — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
What is the typical fee for D2650?
Typically $700–$1,500 before insurance, depending on local fees and the complexity of the individual case.
Will my plan pay for D2650?
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 D2650 and D2651?
D2651 is composite inlay, two surfaces: it covers two surfaces instead of a single surface. Because that is the only difference, a reviewer who disagrees with it simply reprices the claim to D2651 rather than refusing it.
Also known as: inlay, indirect restoration, lab-made filling, ceramic inlay, gold inlay.