D2790 — Crown — full cast high noble metal
A crown is a custom-made cap that covers the entire visible part of a tooth. D2790 is the version in cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
One of 15 crown codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the crown guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
Read on for the conditions this code carries, the money involved, the way a payer is likely to treat it, and a plain comparison against each of the codes it is easily mistaken for.
What has to be true for D2790 to apply
Material — cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it. This is a restoration cast in one piece from a gold-rich alloy, with nothing fired over it. Full-gold restorations remain, by a clear margin, the longest-lasting option in dentistry: the alloy wears at close to the rate of enamel, so it neither grinds down the opposing tooth nor dents, it is gentle at the margins, and it can be made in very thin section — meaning less tooth has to be removed than for any other crown. The only real objection to it is that it is gold-coloured. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2790 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Coverage — full. The restoration wraps the whole circumference of the tooth, which is what holds a cracked or heavily restored tooth together rather than simply filling it.
D2790 compared with its closest relatives
D2791 — Crown — full cast predominantly base metal: It specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D2792 — Crown — full cast noble metal: It specifies cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it rather than cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D2794 — Crown — titanium and titanium alloys: It specifies titanium or a titanium alloy rather than cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D2783 — Crown — 3/4 porcelain/ceramic: It specifies all-ceramic, with no metal underneath rather than cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D2790 sits in a group of 15 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.
Questions about D2790
What does dental code D2790 mean?
Crown, full cast high noble metal. It belongs to the restorative section of the code set.
Is D2790 expensive?
$1,275–$2,950 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Does dental insurance cover D2790?
It is generally a covered benefit in the major category, typically 50% after deductible. Frequency limits and waiting periods are the usual reasons a claim is refused.
What is the difference between D2790 and D2791?
D2791 is crown, full cast predominantly base metal: it specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it. 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.