D7471 — Removal of lateral exostosis (maxilla or mandible)
D7471 removes an exostosis — a bony lump on the outer surface of the upper or lower jaw — that rubs under a denture or a lip.
There are eleven codes for ridge and soft-tissue reshaping and they are not interchangeable. This page covers this one; the ridge and soft-tissue reshaping guide covers the treatment they all share.
Everything on this page is about the code itself — its conditions, its fee, its benefit handling, and the precise point at which it stops applying and a neighbouring code starts.
What the code commits to
Bone — the upper jaw. Maxillary fractures usually follow a recognised pattern through the midface, and the priority is restoring the bite: the upper teeth have to meet the lower ones the way they did before. That is why these cases are managed jointly with the dental occlusion in mind rather than as isolated bone work.
Arch — upper. The palate provides broad support for anything removable, but the sinuses sit directly above the back teeth, which constrains surgical work.
Where the line falls between D7471 and the rest
D7472 — Removal of torus palatinus: It is the same procedure specified for torus palatinus rather than for lateral exostosis maxilla or mandible.
D7473 — Removal of torus mandibularis: It is the lower-jaw version.
D7485 — Surgical reduction of osseous tuberosity: It trims down an osseous tuberosity, the bony bulge behind the last upper molar, so a denture can extend over it.
D7321 — Alveoloplasty NOT in conjunction with extractions — 1 to 3 teeth/spaces per quadrant: It smooths and contours the bone over one to three tooth sites as a separate operation, once the extraction sockets have already healed.
D7471 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. 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.
Questions about D7471
What procedure is D7471?
D7471 records removal of lateral exostosis, maxilla or mandible — one of the oral and maxillofacial surgery codes.
Is D7471 expensive?
Expect $500–$1,300. 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 D7471?
It normally falls under major oral surgery cover, typically 50–80%. Whether a particular claim is paid depends more on your history with the plan than on the code.
What is the difference between D7471 and D7472?
D7472 is removal of torus palatinus: it is the same procedure specified for torus palatinus rather than for lateral exostosis maxilla or mandible. Apart from that, the two describe the same treatment — which is why the notes for the visit matter more here than the code itself.
Also known as: alveoloplasty, torus removal, bony lump, ridge reshaping, denture preparation.