D6074 — Abutment-supported retainer, cast metal FPD (noble metal)
One of the codes covering the retainer units of a bridge supported by implants rather than natural teeth. D6074 is the version in cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
There are 16 codes for implant-supported bridge retainer and they are not interchangeable. This page covers this one; the implant-supported bridge retainer guide covers the treatment they all share.
The sections that follow deal with the requirements, the fee, the claim, and the neighbouring codes — the last of which is where most of the confusion starts.
The specifics of D6074
Material — cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it. A one-piece casting in a noble alloy — typically palladium-based — with no ceramic layer. It keeps most of the mechanical virtues of gold, particularly the ability to be finished to a very close margin and the low wear on the opposing tooth, at a lower metal cost. It is metal-coloured, so it is used where appearance does not matter and longevity does. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D6074 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
How D6074 differs from its neighbours
D6073 — Abutment-supported retainer, cast metal FPD (base metal): It specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D6075 — Implant-supported retainer, ceramic FPD: It specifies all-ceramic, with no metal underneath rather than cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D6072 — Abutment-supported retainer, cast metal FPD (high noble): It specifies cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it rather than cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D6076 — Implant-supported retainer, PFM FPD (high noble alloys): It specifies porcelain fired over a high noble, gold-rich core rather than cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it.
D6074 sits in a group of 16 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. These distinctions exist because they change what was actually done. A claim for D6074 when the record describes one of the others is not a technicality — it is the difference between a paid claim and a returned one.
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 D6074
What does dental code D6074 mean?
It is the entry for abutment-supported retainer, cast metal FPD, noble metal. A practice cannot use it for anything broader than that, which is what makes the code useful to you.
What is the typical fee for D6074?
The usual range is $1,415–$3,305. Anything well outside it is worth a question rather than an assumption.
Is D6074 a covered benefit?
Usually yes, as major treatment at 0–50% — but coverage turns on your own policy, its annual maximum and any waiting period.
What is the difference between D6074 and D6073?
D6073 is abutment-supported retainer, cast metal FPD, base metal: it specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it. 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: implant bridge, implant retainer, implant supported FPD, multiple missing teeth.