D7210 — Surgical removal of erupted tooth (flap, bone removal and/or sectioning)
D7210 is the surgical extraction of a fully erupted tooth, where the gum has to be lifted, bone removed, or the tooth cut into pieces.
It is the default code in a group of three, and the one whose fee is normally quoted when this treatment is discussed. Our surgical extraction guide covers the procedure in depth.
This page explains what that code number commits the office to, what it usually costs, how plans treat it, and — the part that causes most of the confusion — how it differs from the codes sitting immediately either side of it.
Where the line falls between D7210 and the rest
D7250 — Removal of residual tooth roots (cutting procedure): It removes root fragments left behind in the bone, which means cutting through gum and bone to reach them.
D7251 — Coronectomy — intentional partial tooth removal (impacted teeth): It deliberately removes only the crown of an impacted tooth and leaves the roots where they are, to avoid damaging the nerve beneath them.
Those two codes and D7210 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. These distinctions exist because they change what was actually done. A claim for D7210 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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D7210 | Surgical removal of erupted tooth (flap, bone removal and/or sectioning) — this page |
| D7250 | Removal of residual tooth roots (cutting procedure) |
| D7251 | Coronectomy — intentional partial tooth removal (impacted teeth) |
Questions about D7210
D7210 — what is it?
On a claim, D7210 tells the insurer that what was performed was surgical removal of erupted tooth, flap, bone removal and/or sectioning.
Is D7210 expensive?
Usually somewhere in $300–$700 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Will my plan pay for D7210?
Expect basic / major oral surgery handling — typically 50–80%. Submitting an estimate first turns that percentage into a number you can rely on.
What is the difference between D7210 and D7250?
D7250 is removal of residual tooth roots, cutting procedure: it removes root fragments left behind in the bone, which means cutting through gum and bone to reach them. The two are neighbours by number rather than by treatment, so seeing both on a plan usually means both were genuinely planned.
Also known as: surgical extraction, sectioning a tooth, residual root removal, coronectomy.