D5511 — Repair broken complete denture base (lower)
D5511 repairs a cracked or broken acrylic base on a complete lower denture.
This is one of eleven closely related denture adjustment and repair codes. The treatment is explained in full in the denture adjustment and repair guide — this page is about what makes this particular code different.
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 the code commits to
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.
Where the line falls between D5511 and the rest
D5512 — Repair broken complete denture base, maxillary: It is the upper-jaw version.
D5520 — Replace missing/broken denture teeth: It replaces a denture tooth that has chipped or broken away from the base.
D5611 — Repair resin partial denture base, mandibular: It repairs the acrylic base of a lower partial denture.
D5410 — Adjust complete upper denture: It is the upper-jaw version.
D5511 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. There is no penalty for asking which of these is planned, and there is a real cost to finding out from an explanation of benefits weeks later.
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 D5511
What procedure is D5511?
On a claim, D5511 tells the insurer that what was performed was repair broken complete denture base, lower.
How much does D5511 cost?
$180–$500 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Is D5511 a covered benefit?
Yes on most policies, treated as basic / major work at typically 50–80%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D5511 and D5512?
D5512 is repair broken complete denture base, maxillary: it is the upper-jaw version. Nothing else separates them, which is exactly why a claim submitted under the wrong one of the two is such a common correction.
Also known as: denture repair, broken denture, denture adjustment, add tooth to denture, clasp repair.