D6012 — Interim implant body placement (transitional)
Placing an implant means surgically inserting a titanium or zirconia screw into the jawbone to act as an artificial tooth root.
five codes describe implant placement, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other four is the subject of this page; the implant placement guide covers the treatment itself.
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.
Reading D6012
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.
Not to be confused with
D6013 — Surgical placement of a mini implant: It is the definitive version.
D6010 — Surgical placement of implant body: It is the definitive version.
D6040 — Eposteal (subperiosteal) implant: It is the definitive version.
D6050 — Transosteal implant: It is the definitive version.
Those four codes and D6012 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. A plan reads these codes as definitions, not as descriptions. If the notes for the visit do not match D6012 exactly, the claim is assessed as whichever of these the notes do match.
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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D6012 | Interim implant body placement (transitional) — this page |
| D6010 | Surgical placement of implant body |
| D6013 | Surgical placement of a mini implant |
| D6040 | Eposteal (subperiosteal) implant |
| D6050 | Transosteal implant |
Questions about D6012
What does dental code D6012 mean?
D6012 is shorthand for interim implant body placement, transitional — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
How much does D6012 cost?
Between $900–$2,200 in most practices — and that is the figure before any benefit is applied, not what you would pay at the desk.
Will my plan pay for D6012?
It is generally a covered benefit in the major category, 0–50%. Frequency limits and waiting periods are the usual reasons a claim is refused.
What is the difference between D6012 and D6013?
D6013 is surgical placement of a mini implant: it is the definitive version. That one difference is the whole distinction; the chair time, the materials and the appointment sequence are the same either way.
Also known as: dental implant, implant surgery, osseointegration, titanium implant, tooth replacement.