D2931 — Prefabricated stainless steel crown — permanent tooth
D2931 fits the same ready-made steel crown on an adult tooth, normally as a holding measure until a permanent crown can be made.
There are six codes for prefabricated crown and they are not interchangeable. This page covers this one; the prefabricated crown guide covers the treatment they all share.
Everything on this page is about the code itself — its conditions, its fee, its benefit handling, and the precise point at which it stops applying and a neighbouring code starts.
D2931 in detail
Material — prefabricated stainless steel. A stainless steel crown arrives pre-made in a range of sizes, is trimmed and crimped to fit at the chairside, and is cemented in a single visit with no laboratory stage. On a child's tooth it is the most reliable restoration there is — several studies put its survival well above that of large fillings on the same teeth — because it covers the whole tooth and has no margin exposed to further decay. It is obviously metallic, which is the only real objection to it. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D2931 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Dentition — a permanent tooth. It is expected to last decades, so the longer-lasting option is normally the right one even when it costs more.
D2931 compared with its closest relatives
D2930 — Prefabricated stainless steel crown — primary tooth: It is for primary teeth rather than permanent teeth.
D2932 — Prefabricated resin crown: It specifies resin rather than prefabricated stainless steel.
D2929 — Prefabricated porcelain/ceramic crown — primary tooth: It specifies all-ceramic, with no metal underneath rather than prefabricated stainless steel.
D2933 — Stainless steel crown with resin window: It is a steel crown with a resin window bonded into the front, giving a baby tooth a tooth-coloured face.
D2931 sits in a group of six codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. The safest question to ask is not "what does this cost" but "which code is going on the claim". The first answer changes; the second decides the first.
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 |
|---|---|
| D2931 | Prefabricated stainless steel crown — permanent tooth — this page |
| D2929 | Prefabricated porcelain/ceramic crown — primary tooth |
| D2930 | Prefabricated stainless steel crown — primary tooth |
| D2932 | Prefabricated resin crown |
| D2933 | Stainless steel crown with resin window |
| D2934 | Esthetic coated stainless steel crown — primary tooth |
Questions about D2931
What does dental code D2931 mean?
D2931 records prefabricated stainless steel crown, permanent tooth — one of the restorative codes.
Is D2931 expensive?
Plan for $260–$600 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
How do dental plans handle D2931?
Yes on most policies, treated as basic / major work at typically 50–80%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D2931 and D2930?
D2930 is prefabricated stainless steel crown, primary tooth: it is for primary teeth rather than permanent teeth. That one difference is the whole distinction; the chair time, the materials and the appointment sequence are the same either way.
Also known as: stainless steel crown, prefabricated crown, paediatric crown, baby tooth crown.