D6245 — Pontic — porcelain/ceramic (bridge tooth)
A pontic is the replacement tooth in the middle of a bridge — the part that fills the gap. D6245 is the version in all-ceramic, with no metal underneath.
Among the two codes in this group it is the workhorse — the one most practices report by default. The procedure behind it is explained at length in the bridge pontic guide.
Below is what the code actually specifies, the fee range to expect, how dental benefits normally handle it, and the specific differences between it and the codes it is most often confused with.
The specifics of D6245
Material — all-ceramic, with no metal underneath. An all-ceramic restoration is milled or pressed as a single piece of ceramic — most often zirconia or lithium disilicate today — with nothing metallic inside it. Because light passes through it the way it passes through enamel, it is the most convincing material available in the front of the mouth, and there is no grey line at the gum to appear as the gum recedes. Modern zirconia is also strong enough for molars, which was not true of the earlier ceramics. The material is part of the code rather than a choice made afterwards, so D6245 is only the right code if that is what was actually used.
Not to be confused with
D6240 — Pontic — porcelain fused to metal (bridge tooth): It specifies porcelain fired over a metal core rather than all-ceramic, with no metal underneath.
That code and D6245 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 |
|---|---|
| D6245 | Pontic — porcelain/ceramic (bridge tooth) — this page |
| D6240 | Pontic — porcelain fused to metal (bridge tooth) |
Questions about D6245
D6245 — what is it?
D6245 is shorthand for pontic, porcelain/ceramic, bridge tooth — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
Is D6245 expensive?
Expect $1,045–$2,435. Ask for the number in writing, because the code carries no fee of its own and every practice sets its own.
Does dental insurance cover D6245?
Typically, yes — major prosthodontic benefits, typically 50%. What varies between plans is the frequency limit rather than whether the procedure is covered at all.
Also known as: dental bridge, pontic, fixed bridge, missing tooth, three unit bridge.