D5228 — Immediate mandibular partial denture — flexible base
A partial denture replaces some of the teeth in an arch and is held in place by the teeth that remain. D5228 is the immediate version in a flexible nylon-type base, for the lower jaw.
It is one of 13 codes covering partial denture. For the procedure itself rather than the code, see the partial denture guide; for the code, read on.
The detail below covers what the code obliges the record to show, the range of fees, the likely insurance outcome, and a comparison drawn code by code.
Reading D5228
Material — a flexible nylon-type base. Flexible partial dentures are injection-moulded from a nylon-family polymer. The base is thin, slightly translucent so it disappears against the gum, and it flexes into place, which means the clasps can be made in the same pink material rather than in visible metal. The flexibility is also the limitation: it transmits chewing load to the gum rather than spreading it through a rigid frame, it cannot be relined or adjusted as easily as acrylic, and it cannot be repaired by most laboratories. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D5228 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Arch — lower. The bone is denser, but there is far less surface area to support anything removable and the nerve running through the jaw limits how aggressive surgery can be.
Status — interim, not definitive. It is built to function for a limited period while something else is planned or healing, and many plans fold its fee into the definitive restoration if that follows within a few months.
D5228 against the codes beside it
D5227 — Immediate maxillary partial denture — flexible base: It is the upper-jaw version.
D5226 — Mandibular partial denture — flexible base: It is the definitive version.
D5225 — Maxillary partial denture — flexible base: It is the upper-jaw version.
D5224 — Immediate mandibular partial denture — cast metal framework: It specifies a cast metal framework rather than a flexible nylon-type base.
D5228 sits in a group of 13 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. The safest question to ask is not "what does this cost" but "which code is going on the claim". The first answer changes; the second decides the first.
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 D5228
What is D5228 on my dental bill?
D5228 is shorthand for immediate mandibular partial denture, flexible base — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
What is the typical fee for D5228?
Expect $1,200–$2,800. Ask for the number in writing, because the code carries no fee of its own and every practice sets its own.
How do dental plans handle D5228?
Typically, yes — major prosthodontic benefits, typically 50%. What varies between plans is the frequency limit rather than whether the procedure is covered at all.
What is the difference between D5228 and D5227?
D5227 is immediate maxillary partial denture, flexible base: it is the upper-jaw version. The rest of the procedure is the same, which is why the two get substituted for one another on estimates.
Also known as: partial denture, removable partial, chrome denture, flexible denture, clasps.