D3220 — Therapeutic pulpotomy (excluding final restoration)
D3220 removes the inflamed pulp from the crown of the tooth and dresses what is left, the usual treatment for a baby tooth with decay into the nerve.
Among the three codes in this group it is the workhorse — the one most practices report by default. The procedure behind it is explained at length in the pulpotomy and pulpal debridement guide.
Everything below is specific to this code: what it pins down, what it is worth, how a payer handles it, and which codes it is not.
Told apart from the codes it is confused with
D3221 — Pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth: It opens a tooth and clears the canals to relieve acute pain, as an emergency step before proper root canal treatment.
D3222 — Partial pulpotomy for apexogenesis — permanent tooth with incomplete root development: It removes only the outer part of the pulp of an immature adult tooth, so that the root can carry on developing.
Those two codes and D3220 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. 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 |
|---|---|
| D3220 | Therapeutic pulpotomy (excluding final restoration) — this page |
| D3221 | Pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth |
| D3222 | Partial pulpotomy for apexogenesis — permanent tooth with incomplete root development |
Questions about D3220
What does dental code D3220 mean?
The procedure behind the number is therapeutic pulpotomy, excluding final restoration, filed under endodontics.
Is D3220 expensive?
Usually somewhere in $200–$500 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Will my plan pay for D3220?
Plans generally pay it as basic treatment, typically 70–80%, subject to whatever is left of your maximum for the year.
What is the difference between D3220 and D3221?
D3221 is pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth: it opens a tooth and clears the canals to relieve acute pain, as an emergency step before proper root canal treatment. They share a section of the code set and very little else, so the comparison worth making is on what each involves rather than on which is cheaper.
Also known as: pulpotomy, baby root canal, pulpal debridement, apexogenesis, nerve treatment.