D6123 — Implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal (titanium and titanium alloys)
One of the codes covering the retainer units of a bridge supported by implants rather than natural teeth. D6123 is the version in titanium or a titanium alloy.
One of 16 implant-supported bridge retainer codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the implant-supported bridge retainer guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
What the code requires, what it costs, how it is paid, and how to tell it from its neighbours — each in its own section below.
What the code commits to
Material — titanium or a titanium alloy. Titanium is used here for the same reason it is used for implants: bone and soft tissue tolerate it better than any other metal, and it does not corrode. It is roughly as strong as steel at 40% less weight, and it is a genuine alternative for anyone with a nickel sensitivity. Machining it is harder than casting a conventional alloy, which is the main reason it is not more common. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D6123 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Coverage — full. The restoration wraps the whole circumference of the tooth, which is what holds a cracked or heavily restored tooth together rather than simply filling it.
D6123 against the codes beside it
D6122 — Implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal (noble alloys): It specifies cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it rather than titanium or a titanium alloy.
D6121 — Implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal (predominantly base alloys): It specifies cast predominantly base-metal alloy rather than titanium or a titanium alloy.
D6120 — Implant-supported retainer crown, PFM (titanium and titanium alloys): It specifies porcelain fired over a titanium core rather than titanium or a titanium alloy.
D6099 — Implant-supported retainer crown, PFM (noble alloys): It specifies porcelain fired over a noble-alloy core rather than titanium or a titanium alloy.
D6123 sits in a group of 16 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 D6123
What is D6123 on my dental bill?
It is the entry for implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal, titanium and titanium alloys. A practice cannot use it for anything broader than that, which is what makes the code useful to you.
How much does D6123 cost?
Most private fees fall in $1,320–$3,080. Geography accounts for more of that spread than anything clinical.
Will my plan pay for D6123?
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 D6123 and D6122?
D6122 is implant-supported retainer crown, full cast metal, noble alloys: it specifies cast noble alloy, with no porcelain over it rather than titanium or a titanium alloy. 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.