D5671 — Replace all teeth and acrylic on cast metal framework (mandibular)

D5671 in detail

Material — a cast metal framework. A cast-framework partial is built around a thin, rigid metal skeleton — cobalt chromium, or occasionally gold — with acrylic and teeth added to it. Rigidity is the entire point: it spreads chewing load onto the remaining teeth through precisely fitted rests rather than pressing it into the gum, which both feels more stable and protects the ridge from resorbing. It is thinner and considerably stronger than acrylic, and it costs and lasts roughly twice as much. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D5671 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.

Not to be confused with

D5660 — Add a clasp to an existing partial denture: It adds a clasp to an existing partial denture to improve how firmly it grips.

D5650 — Add a tooth to an existing partial denture: It adds a tooth to a partial denture already in use, usually after another natural tooth has been lost.

D5622 — Repair cast partial framework, maxillary: It is the upper-jaw version.

D5611 — Repair resin partial denture base, mandibular: It specifies resin rather than a cast metal framework.

D5671 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. It is worth asking the practice to point to which of these applies. The fees are not close, and the wording is, which is precisely the combination that produces disputed bills.