D7286 — Biopsy of oral tissue — soft
D7286 biopsies soft tissue, taking a sample of gum, tongue or lining for diagnosis.
Among the eleven 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 biopsy and lesion excision guide.
Three things matter when this code turns up on paperwork: what it obliges the practice to have actually done, what it is worth, and which nearby code it is not. All three are set out below.
How D7286 differs from its neighbours
D7285 — Biopsy of oral tissue — hard (bone, tooth): It is the same procedure specified for hard bone tooth rather than for soft.
D7410 — Excision of benign lesion — up to 1.25 cm: It removes a benign lump or patch measuring up to 1.25 centimetres, with the specimen sent for laboratory diagnosis.
D7411 — Excision of benign lesion — greater than 1.25 cm: It removes a benign lesion larger than 1.25 centimetres, which means wider margins and more closure than the small-lesion code.
D7412 — Excision of benign lesion — complicated: It is the complicated variant, requiring a supporting narrative.
D7286 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. The distinction is clinical, not administrative: each of these describes work that was genuinely done differently, and the fee follows the work.
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 D7286
What does dental code D7286 mean?
The procedure behind the number is biopsy of oral tissue, soft, filed under oral and maxillofacial surgery.
What is the typical fee for D7286?
The usual range is $300–$800. Anything well outside it is worth a question rather than an assumption.
Does dental insurance cover D7286?
Plans generally pay it as basic / major oral surgery treatment, typically 70–80%, subject to whatever is left of your maximum for the year.
What is the difference between D7286 and D7285?
D7285 is biopsy of oral tissue, hard, bone, tooth: it is the same procedure specified for hard bone tooth rather than for soft. 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: oral biopsy, mouth lesion, oral cancer, lesion excision, pathology.