D6099 — Implant-supported retainer crown, PFM (noble alloys)
One of the codes covering the retainer units of a bridge supported by implants rather than natural teeth. D6099 is the version in porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core.
This is one of 16 closely related implant-supported bridge retainer codes. The treatment is explained in full in the implant-supported bridge retainer guide — this page is about what makes this particular code different.
Read on for the conditions this code carries, the money involved, the way a payer is likely to treat it, and a plain comparison against each of the codes it is easily mistaken for.
The conditions built into D6099
Material — porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core. A noble alloy contains at least 25% noble metal — usually palladium with some gold or silver — with porcelain fired over it. It is the middle option: better corrosion resistance and a kinder fit at the margin than base metal, without the price of a gold-rich alloy. Palladium-based alloys are also considerably lighter and stiffer than gold, which some technicians prefer for long-span work. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D6099 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D6098 — Implant-supported retainer crown, PFM (predominantly base alloys): It specifies porcelain fired over a metal core rather than porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core.
D6120 — Implant-supported retainer crown, PFM (titanium and titanium alloys): It specifies porcelain fired over a titanium core rather than porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core.
D6077 — Implant-supported retainer, cast metal FPD (high noble alloys): It specifies cast high noble alloy, with no porcelain over it rather than porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core.
D6121 — Implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal (predominantly base alloys): It specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core.
D6099 sits in a group of 16 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. There is no penalty for asking which of these is planned, and there is a real cost to finding out from an explanation of benefits weeks later.
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 D6099
D6099 — what is it?
The procedure behind the number is implant-supported retainer crown, PFM, noble alloys, filed under implant services.
Is D6099 expensive?
Usually somewhere in $1,370–$3,190 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Does dental insurance cover D6099?
In most cases yes, at the major rate: 0–50%. The annual maximum is what usually decides how much of that you actually see.
What is the difference between D6099 and D6098?
D6098 is implant-supported retainer crown, PFM, predominantly base alloys: it specifies porcelain fired over a metal core rather than porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core. Because that is the only difference, a reviewer who disagrees with it simply reprices the claim to D6098 rather than refusing it.
Also known as: implant bridge, implant retainer, implant supported FPD, multiple missing teeth.