D3351 — Apexification — initial visit
D3351 is the first visit of apexification, where the canal of an immature tooth is cleaned and medicated so that a barrier can form at the tip.
Of the four codes covering apexification and pulpal regeneration, this is the one that appears most often on treatment plans, so it is the figure most people are quoted. For the procedure itself — how the appointments run, how long the result lasts, what the alternatives are — see our apexification and pulpal regeneration guide.
Below: the conditions built into this particular code, a realistic fee range, what happens when it reaches an insurer, and a side-by-side comparison with the codes most often substituted for it.
What D3351 specifies
Counted — per visit rather than per tooth or per site.
D3351 compared with its closest relatives
D3352 — Apexification — interim medication replacement: It is the interim version.
D3353 — Apexification — final visit: It is the same procedure with one word changed: final rather than initial.
D3355 — Pulpal regeneration — initial visit: It is the same procedure specified for pulpal regeneration rather than for apexification.
Those three codes and D3351 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. The practical point: confirm which of these is going on the claim before treatment, not after. Corrections after submission mean a resubmission, a delay, and occasionally a fee you did not expect.
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 |
|---|---|
| D3351 | Apexification — initial visit — this page |
| D3352 | Apexification — interim medication replacement |
| D3353 | Apexification — final visit |
| D3355 | Pulpal regeneration — initial visit |
Questions about D3351
What procedure is D3351?
The procedure behind the number is apexification, initial visit, filed under endodontics.
Is D3351 expensive?
$400–$1,000 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Is D3351 a covered benefit?
Plans generally pay it as basic / major treatment, typically 50–80%, subject to whatever is left of your maximum for the year.
What is the difference between D3351 and D3352?
D3352 is apexification, interim medication replacement: it is the interim version. Apart from that, the two describe the same treatment — which is why the notes for the visit matter more here than the code itself.
Also known as: apexification, open apex, immature tooth, pulpal regeneration, revascularisation.