D7320 — Alveoloplasty NOT in conjunction with extractions — 4+ teeth/spaces per quadrant
One of the procedures that reshape the jaw ridge and the soft tissue over it, usually to allow a denture to fit. D7320 is the full-quadrant version.
This is one of eleven closely related ridge and soft-tissue reshaping codes. The treatment is explained in full in the ridge and soft-tissue reshaping guide — this page is about what makes this particular code different.
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.
Reading D7320
Extent — four or more teeth in the quadrant. Four or more teeth means the appointment covered a whole quadrant rather than an isolated problem area, which is what separates this code from its lower-count sibling and accounts for most of the fee difference.
Timing — a separate operation. This is the code for reshaping done after the extraction sites have healed, which means opening the gum again as its own procedure. It carries a higher fee than the same work done alongside extractions, and it is the one payers question, because a plan will ask why the ridge was not contoured at the time.
Counted — per quadrant. Treating the whole mouth produces four separate line items, and most plans cap how many quadrants they will pay for at one visit.
Told apart from the codes it is confused with
D7321 — Alveoloplasty NOT in conjunction with extractions — 1 to 3 teeth/spaces per quadrant: It is the same treatment on one to three teeth in the quadrant rather than four or more teeth in the quadrant — the distinction decides which of the two is the correct claim.
D7311 — Alveoloplasty in conjunction with extractions — 1 to 3 teeth/spaces per quadrant: It is the same reshaping, done at the extraction visit itself, which is cheaper and far more likely to be covered than a later operation. It also applies to one to three teeth in the quadrant rather than four or more teeth in the quadrant.
D7310 — Alveoloplasty in conjunction with extractions — 4+ teeth/spaces per quadrant: It is the same reshaping at the same extent, done at the extraction visit itself, which is cheaper and far more likely to be covered than a later operation.
D7471 — Removal of lateral exostosis (maxilla or mandible): It removes an exostosis — a bony lump on the outer surface of the upper or lower jaw — that rubs under a denture or a lip.
D7320 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. Where the codes sit this close together, the record of the appointment is what settles which one was earned. That is worth knowing before treatment rather than after.
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 D7320
What is D7320 on my dental bill?
The procedure behind the number is alveoloplasty NOT in conjunction with extractions, 4+ teeth/spaces per quadrant, filed under oral and maxillofacial surgery.
What is the typical fee for D7320?
Typically $500–$1,200 before insurance, depending on local fees and the complexity of the individual case.
Is D7320 a covered benefit?
Typically, yes — major oral surgery benefits, typically 50–80%. What varies between plans is the frequency limit rather than whether the procedure is covered at all.
What is the difference between D7320 and D7321?
D7321 is alveoloplasty NOT in conjunction with extractions, 1 to 3 teeth/spaces per quadrant: it is the same treatment on one to three teeth in the quadrant rather than four or more teeth in the quadrant — the distinction decides which of the two is the correct claim. Because that is the only difference, a reviewer who disagrees with it simply reprices the claim to D7321 rather than refusing it.
Also known as: alveoloplasty, torus removal, bony lump, ridge reshaping, denture preparation.