D6051 — Interim implant abutment placement
An abutment is the connector between the implant buried in the bone and the crown above the gum.
It is one of five codes covering implant abutment and surgical guide. For the procedure itself rather than the code, see the implant abutment and surgical guide guide; for the code, read on.
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
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
D6055 — Implant connecting bar (for overdenture): It is the definitive version.
D6056 — Prefabricated implant abutment: It is the definitive version.
D6057 — Custom implant abutment: It is the definitive version.
D6190 — Radiographic/surgical implant index (guide): It is the definitive version.
Those four codes and D6051 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. If an estimate lists D6051 and the treatment that follows matches a neighbouring code instead, the office has to resubmit — which delays the payment rather than increasing it.
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 |
|---|---|
| D6051 | Interim implant abutment placement — this page |
| D6055 | Implant connecting bar (for overdenture) |
| D6056 | Prefabricated implant abutment |
| D6057 | Custom implant abutment |
| D6190 | Radiographic/surgical implant index (guide) |
Questions about D6051
What does dental code D6051 mean?
D6051 records interim implant abutment placement — one of the implant services codes.
Is D6051 expensive?
Plan for $400–$1,000 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
Does dental insurance cover D6051?
It normally falls under major cover, 0–50%. Whether a particular claim is paid depends more on your history with the plan than on the code.
What is the difference between D6051 and D6055?
D6055 is implant connecting bar, for overdenture: it is the definitive version. The rest of the procedure is the same, which is why the two get substituted for one another on estimates.
Also known as: implant abutment, custom abutment, surgical guide, implant index, connecting bar.