D7450 — Removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor — up to 1.25 cm
Cysts in the jaws are fluid-filled cavities lined with epithelium, and most are odontogenic — derived from tooth-forming tissue.
Of the eight codes covering cyst and tumour removal, this is the one that appears most often on treatment plans, so it is the figure most people are quoted. For the procedure itself — how the appointments run, how long the result lasts, what the alternatives are — see our cyst and tumour removal guide.
Everything below is specific to this code: what it pins down, what it is worth, how a payer handles it, and which codes it is not.
The conditions built into D7450
Size — up to 1.25 centimetres. The measurement has to be recorded in the chart; it is what separates this code from the large-lesion code beside it.
D7450 compared with its closest relatives
D7451 — Removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor — greater than 1.25 cm: It is the large-lesion version.
D7460 — Removal of benign nonodontogenic cyst or tumor — up to 1.25 cm: It is the same procedure with one word changed: nonodontogenic rather than odontogenic.
D7461 — Removal of benign nonodontogenic cyst or tumor — greater than 1.25 cm: It is the large-lesion version.
D7490 — Radical resection of maxilla or mandible: It is radical resection of part of the upper or lower jaw, the major cancer-surgery code in this range.
D7450 sits in a group of eight codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A single word separates several of these codes, and a payer reads that word literally. If the record does not support D7450 specifically, the claim comes back — usually repriced to whichever neighbouring code the reviewer thinks was actually performed.
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 D7450
What is D7450 on my dental bill?
On a claim, D7450 tells the insurer that what was performed was removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor, up to 1.25 cm.
Is D7450 expensive?
Expect $700–$1,800. Ask for the number in writing, because the code carries no fee of its own and every practice sets its own.
How do dental plans handle D7450?
Yes on most policies, treated as major oral surgery / medical work at variable. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D7450 and D7451?
D7451 is removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor, greater than 1.25 cm: it is the large-lesion version. 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: jaw cyst, odontogenic cyst, ameloblastoma, marsupialisation, jaw tumour.