D5876 — Add metal substructure to acrylic denture
D5876 adds a metal reinforcement inside an acrylic denture that keeps fracturing.
One of eleven denture adjustment and repair codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the denture adjustment and repair guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
The sections below cover the conditions built into the code, what it tends to cost, what a dental plan is likely to pay, and where the line falls between this code and the ones next to it.
The conditions built into D5876
Material — an acrylic resin base. An acrylic partial is made entirely from pink methacrylate resin, sometimes with wire clasps embedded in it. It is the cheapest option, it can be added to and relined easily as more teeth are lost, and it is quick to make. In exchange the base has to be thick to be strong, which most people notice for the first few weeks, and it carries its load on the gum rather than on the remaining teeth. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D5876 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Where the line falls between D5876 and the rest
D5862 — Precision attachment (denture anchor), per pair: It is the precision attachment itself, the machined stud and socket that lock a denture onto a tooth or an implant, billed per pair.
D5671 — Replace all teeth and acrylic on cast metal framework (mandibular): It specifies a cast metal framework rather than an acrylic resin base.
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.
D5876 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. Two of these codes on one estimate is not necessarily an error, but it is always worth asking what each line is for.
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 D5876
What does dental code D5876 mean?
Add metal substructure to acrylic denture, reported under a single prosthodontics, removable code.
What should I expect to pay for D5876?
$300–$800 is the realistic range before benefits. Your own share depends on your plan's percentage, deductible and remaining annual maximum.
Will my plan pay for D5876?
It normally falls under basic / major cover, typically 50–80%. Whether a particular claim is paid depends more on your history with the plan than on the code.
Also known as: denture repair, broken denture, denture adjustment, add tooth to denture, clasp repair.