D2720 — Crown — resin with high noble metal
A crown is a custom-made cap that covers the entire visible part of a tooth. D2720 is the version in resin veneered over a high noble alloy.
15 codes describe crown, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other 14 is the subject of this page; the crown guide covers the treatment itself.
What follows is the detail behind the number: the conditions the code sets, its typical fee, its usual benefit treatment, and a code-by-code comparison with its closest neighbours.
The specifics of D2720
Material — resin veneered over a high noble alloy. A gold-rich casting with a tooth-coloured resin facing rather than a porcelain one. The resin is easier and cheaper to apply than fired porcelain and is kinder to the opposing tooth, but it stains, wears and dulls over years in a way porcelain does not. Combining an expensive alloy with a facing that has a limited life is an unusual choice today, and it is worth asking why it is being proposed. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2720 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D2721 — Crown — resin with predominantly base metal: It specifies resin veneered over a base-metal alloy rather than resin veneered over a high noble alloy.
D2722 — Crown — resin with noble metal: It specifies resin veneered over a noble alloy rather than resin veneered over a high noble alloy.
D2712 — Crown — 3/4 indirect resin-based composite: It specifies lab-processed indirect composite rather than resin veneered over a high noble alloy.
D2710 — Crown — indirect resin-based composite: It specifies lab-processed indirect composite rather than resin veneered over a high noble alloy.
D2720 sits in a group of 15 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. These distinctions exist because they change what was actually done. A claim for D2720 when the record describes one of the others is not a technicality — it is the difference between a paid claim and a returned one.
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.
Questions about D2720
What is D2720 on my dental bill?
Crown, resin with high noble metal, reported under a single restorative code.
What should I expect to pay for D2720?
Most private fees fall in $1,195–$2,770. Geography accounts for more of that spread than anything clinical.
How do dental plans handle D2720?
Expect major handling — typically 50% after deductible. Submitting an estimate first turns that percentage into a number you can rely on.
What is the difference between D2720 and D2721?
D2721 is crown, resin with predominantly base metal: it specifies resin veneered over a base-metal alloy rather than resin veneered over a high noble alloy. Apart from that, the two describe the same treatment — which is why the notes for the visit matter more here than the code itself.
Also known as: dental crown, cap, full coverage restoration, crown and bridge.