D2940 Restorative Most reported in its group Basic benefit

D2940 — Protective (interim direct) restoration / sedative filling

D2940 is the sedative or protective filling placed to settle a tooth down, and is not meant to last.

Temporary Fillings: Why a Tooth Gets Sealed Twice The procedure itself explained in full — appointments, alternatives, how long it lasts and what drives the price.

This is the most commonly reported of the two interim restoration codes, which is why it is the one people usually see on an estimate. The full account of the treatment is in our interim restoration guide.

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.

Reading D2940

Status — interim, not definitive. It is built to function for a limited period while something else is planned or healing, and many plans fold its fee into the definitive restoration if that follows within a few months.

Told apart from the codes it is confused with

D2941 — Interim therapeutic restoration (baby teeth): It is the interim restoration placed in a baby tooth to arrest decay when definitive treatment has to wait.

That code and D2940 are the whole group — nothing else in the code set describes this procedure. A single word separates several of these codes, and a payer reads that word literally. If the record does not support D2940 specifically, the claim comes back — usually repriced to whichever neighbouring code the reviewer thinks was actually performed.

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
D2940	Protective (interim direct) restoration / sedative filling — this page
D2941	Interim therapeutic restoration (baby teeth)

Questions about D2940

What procedure is D2940?

The procedure behind the number is protective (interim direct) restoration / sedative filling, filed under restorative.

What should I expect to pay for D2940?

$110–$300 is the realistic range before benefits. Your own share depends on your plan's percentage, deductible and remaining annual maximum.

Will my plan pay for D2940?

Expect basic handling — typically 70–80%. Submitting an estimate first turns that percentage into a number you can rely on.

What is the difference between D2940 and D2941?

D2941 is interim therapeutic restoration, baby teeth: it is the interim restoration placed in a baby tooth to arrest decay when definitive treatment has to wait. The two are neighbours by number rather than by treatment, so seeing both on a plan usually means both were genuinely planned.

Also known as: temporary filling, sedative filling, interim restoration, ITR.

Typical cost

$110–$300

Before insurance. United States, private fees.

Fees generally land somewhere inside $110–$300, before insurance. Nothing in this group costs less. A fee materially above this range usually means a different code is actually being planned.

Insurance

Category: Basic
Plan pays: Typically 70–80%

Benefit-wise this is basic work — typically 70–80% on a conventional plan. Interim codes are frequently bundled: if the definitive treatment follows inside the plan's window — commonly two to six months — D2940 may be paid at nothing on the basis that its fee is already inside the definitive restoration's.

Common restrictions

Often bundled into a subsequent definitive restoration
Repeated interim restorations on one tooth may be questioned
Not payable on the same day as a definitive restoration on the same surface

At a glance

Nature: Interim, not definitive
Visits: One
Anesthesia: Often, but not always
Typical material: Glass ionomer or zinc-based cement
Expected service: Weeks to months
Insurance class: Basic
Category: Restorative
Typical fee: $110–$300
Benefit class: Basic

Ask your dentist

What will I owe on the day, after the plan pays its share?
Which exact code will you be submitting, and what is the fee for it?
How long is this meant to last, and what is the plan and cost after it?

Often confused with

D9110 Palliative treatment of dental pain
For relief of pain where no restoration is placed. D2391 Composite filling, one surface, posterior
The definitive restoration that usually follows. D1354 Silver diamine fluoride
A non-restorative way to arrest decay in a young child.

People also look at

D1354 D2391 D9110 D2941