D3431 — Biologic materials with periradicular surgery
D3431 adds a biologic material — a protein, growth factor or membrane — to root-end surgery to improve how the bone heals.
This code belongs to a set of nine covering apicoectomy and periradicular surgery. The clinical detail lives in the apicoectomy and periradicular surgery guide; the code-level detail is here.
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.
Not to be confused with
D3430 — Retrograde (root-end) filling — per root: It is the filling placed into the cut end of the root during apex surgery, sealing the canal from behind, and is billed per root.
D3432 — Guided tissue regeneration with root surgery: It adds guided tissue regeneration to root surgery, using a barrier so that bone rather than soft tissue fills the defect.
D3428 — Bone graft with periradicular surgery (single site): It adds a bone graft to root-end surgery at a single site, filling the defect the infection left behind in the bone.
D3427 — Periradicular surgery without apicoectomy: It is periradicular surgery in which the root tip is not cut off: the lesion is cleared and the area repaired, but the apex is left intact.
D3431 sits in a group of nine codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. Reviewers compare the narrative against the code rather than the other way round, so the question worth asking is what the notes will say.
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 |
|---|---|
| D3431 | Biologic materials with periradicular surgery — this page |
| D3410 | Apicoectomy — anterior tooth |
| D3421 | Apicoectomy — premolar (first root) |
| D3425 | Apicoectomy — molar (first root) |
| D3426 | Apicoectomy — each additional root |
| D3427 | Periradicular surgery without apicoectomy |
| D3428 | Bone graft with periradicular surgery (single site) |
| D3430 | Retrograde (root-end) filling — per root |
| D3432 | Guided tissue regeneration with root surgery |
Questions about D3431
What is D3431 on my dental bill?
Biologic materials with periradicular surgery. It belongs to the endodontics section of the code set.
What should I expect to pay for D3431?
Plan for $300–$800 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
Will my plan pay for D3431?
Typically, yes — major / surgical benefits, typically 50–80%. What varies between plans is the frequency limit rather than whether the procedure is covered at all.
What is the difference between D3431 and D3430?
D3430 is retrograde (root-end) filling, per root: it is the filling placed into the cut end of the root during apex surgery, sealing the canal from behind, and is billed per root. They are different operations that happen to sit next to each other in the code set, so one is not an alternative way of billing the other.
Also known as: apicoectomy, root end surgery, endodontic surgery, retrograde filling, periradicular surgery.