D3471 — Surgical repair of root resorption — anterior
D3471 surgically repairs resorption eating into the root of a front tooth.
One of eleven root resection and related procedures codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the root resection and related procedures guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
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.
What has to be true for D3471 to apply
Tooth — a front tooth, where shade, translucency and the shape of the edge matter as much as strength.
D3471 compared with its closest relatives
D3470 — Intentional reimplantation: It takes the tooth out deliberately, treats it outside the mouth, and puts it back into its socket.
D3472 — Surgical repair of root resorption — premolar: It applies to premolars rather than front tooths.
D3473 — Surgical repair of root resorption — molar: It applies to molars rather than front tooths.
D3460 — Endodontic endosseous implant: It is the endodontic implant, a post passed through the root into the bone beneath to stabilise a tooth — a historic procedure.
D3471 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A single word separates several of these codes, and a payer reads that word literally. If the record does not support D3471 specifically, the claim comes back — usually repriced to whichever neighbouring code the reviewer thinks was actually performed.
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.
Questions about D3471
What is D3471 on my dental bill?
On a claim, D3471 tells the insurer that what was performed was surgical repair of root resorption, anterior.
What should I expect to pay for D3471?
Expect $500–$1,400. Ask for the number in writing, because the code carries no fee of its own and every practice sets its own.
Will my plan pay for D3471?
In most cases yes, at the major / surgical rate: variable. The annual maximum is what usually decides how much of that you actually see.
What is the difference between D3471 and D3470?
D3470 is intentional reimplantation: it takes the tooth out deliberately, treats it outside the mouth, and puts it back into its socket. One does not substitute for the other; if both are listed, ask what each appointment is actually for.
Also known as: root amputation, hemisection, decoronation, root resorption, intentional reimplantation.