D3333 — Internal root repair of perforation defects
D3333 repairs a perforation in the root from the inside, sealing a hole made by decay, resorption or an instrument.
four codes describe endodontic complications and obstructions, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other three is the subject of this page; the endodontic complications and obstructions guide covers the treatment itself.
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.
How D3333 differs from its neighbours
D3332 — Incomplete endodontic therapy; inoperable, unrestorable, or fractured tooth: It is billed when root canal treatment has to be abandoned because the tooth turns out to be unrestorable or fractured.
D3331 — Treatment of root canal obstruction; non-surgical access: It clears a blockage in a canal — a ledge, a calcification, a separated file — without resorting to surgery.
D3911 — Intraorifice barrier: It places a barrier over the canal openings after root canal treatment, sealing them off from anything above.
Those three codes and D3333 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. If an estimate lists D3333 and the treatment that follows matches a neighbouring code instead, the office has to resubmit — which delays the payment rather than increasing it.
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 |
|---|---|
| D3333 | Internal root repair of perforation defects — this page |
| D3331 | Treatment of root canal obstruction; non-surgical access |
| D3332 | Incomplete endodontic therapy; inoperable, unrestorable, or fractured tooth |
| D3911 | Intraorifice barrier |
Questions about D3333
What is D3333 on my dental bill?
D3333 is shorthand for internal root repair of perforation defects — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
Is D3333 expensive?
Usually somewhere in $350–$1,000 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Is D3333 a covered benefit?
In most cases yes, at the basic / major rate: variable. The annual maximum is what usually decides how much of that you actually see.
What is the difference between D3333 and D3332?
D3332 is incomplete endodontic therapy; inoperable, unrestorable, or fractured tooth: it is billed when root canal treatment has to be abandoned because the tooth turns out to be unrestorable or fractured. One does not substitute for the other; if both are listed, ask what each appointment is actually for.
Also known as: blocked canal, separated instrument, root perforation, incomplete root canal.