D7472 — Removal of torus palatinus
D7472 removes a torus palatinus, the ridge of surplus bone down the middle of the palate, usually because it stops a denture seating.
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.
The rest of this page deals with the specifics: the requirements written into the code, the usual range of fees, the typical benefit outcome, and how to tell it apart from its closest relatives.
What the code commits to
Arch — upper. The palate provides broad support for anything removable, but the sinuses sit directly above the back teeth, which constrains surgical work.
D7472 compared with its closest relatives
D7471 — Removal of lateral exostosis (maxilla or mandible): It is the same procedure specified for lateral exostosis maxilla or mandible rather than for torus palatinus.
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.
D7472 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 D7472
What procedure is D7472?
The procedure behind the number is removal of torus palatinus, filed under oral and maxillofacial surgery.
What is the typical fee for D7472?
Plan for $700–$1,800 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
How do dental plans handle D7472?
Expect 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 D7472 and D7471?
D7471 is removal of lateral exostosis, maxilla or mandible: it is the same procedure specified for lateral exostosis maxilla or mandible rather than for torus palatinus. 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: alveoloplasty, torus removal, bony lump, ridge reshaping, denture preparation.