D6240 — Pontic — porcelain fused to metal (bridge tooth)
A pontic is the replacement tooth in the middle of a bridge — the part that fills the gap. D6240 is the version in porcelain fired over a metal core.
This code belongs to a set of two covering bridge pontic. The clinical detail lives in the bridge pontic guide; the code-level detail is here.
What the number specifies, what it costs, what your plan is likely to do with it, and the named differences between it and the codes around it — in that order.
The conditions built into D6240
Material — porcelain fired over a metal core. A porcelain-fused-to-metal restoration is built in two layers: a thin metal shell for strength, with porcelain fired over it for appearance. It was the default crown for forty years because it fails gracefully — the metal keeps the tooth covered even if the porcelain chips — and because it fits precisely. Its weakness is optical: the opaque metal has to be masked, so it never has the depth of all-ceramic, and a grey margin can show at the gum line as the gum recedes. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D6240 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D6245 — Pontic — porcelain/ceramic (bridge tooth): It specifies all-ceramic, with no metal underneath rather than porcelain fired over a metal core.
That code and D6240 are the whole group — nothing else in the code set describes this procedure. The descriptions differ by a few words and the fees differ by a great deal, which is why mixing them up is one of the commonest billing errors in dentistry. Ask which of these codes is being submitted and why.
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 |
|---|---|
| D6240 | Pontic — porcelain fused to metal (bridge tooth) — this page |
| D6245 | Pontic — porcelain/ceramic (bridge tooth) |
Questions about D6240
What procedure is D6240?
It is the entry for pontic, porcelain fused to metal, bridge tooth. A practice cannot use it for anything broader than that, which is what makes the code useful to you.
What should I expect to pay for D6240?
$900–$2,100 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Is D6240 a covered benefit?
Yes on most policies, treated as major prosthodontic work at typically 50%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
Also known as: dental bridge, pontic, fixed bridge, missing tooth, three unit bridge.