D3222 — Partial pulpotomy for apexogenesis — permanent tooth with incomplete root development
D3222 removes only the outer part of the pulp of an immature adult tooth, so that the root can carry on developing.
One of three pulpotomy and pulpal debridement codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the pulpotomy and pulpal debridement 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.
The conditions built into D3222
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.
Not to be confused with
D3221 — Pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth: It is for primary teeth rather than permanent teeth.
D3220 — Therapeutic pulpotomy (excluding final restoration): It 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.
Those two codes and D3222 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. These distinctions exist because they change what was actually done. A claim for D3222 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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D3222 | Partial pulpotomy for apexogenesis — permanent tooth with incomplete root development — this page |
| D3220 | Therapeutic pulpotomy (excluding final restoration) |
| D3221 | Pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth |
Questions about D3222
What is D3222 on my dental bill?
On a claim, D3222 tells the insurer that what was performed was partial pulpotomy for apexogenesis, permanent tooth with incomplete root development.
Is D3222 expensive?
Plan for $280–$700 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 D3222?
Yes on most policies, treated as basic work at typically 70–80%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D3222 and D3221?
D3221 is pulpal debridement, primary and permanent teeth: 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: pulpotomy, baby root canal, pulpal debridement, apexogenesis, nerve treatment.