D7473 — Removal of torus mandibularis
D7473 removes a torus mandibularis, the bony bump on the tongue side of the lower jaw that gets in the way of a lower denture.
eleven codes describe ridge and soft-tissue reshaping, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other ten is the subject of this page; the ridge and soft-tissue reshaping guide covers the treatment itself.
The sections that follow deal with the requirements, the fee, the claim, and the neighbouring codes — the last of which is where most of the confusion starts.
D7473 in detail
Arch — lower. The bone is denser, but there is far less surface area to support anything removable and the nerve running through the jaw limits how aggressive surgery can be.
Told apart from the codes it is confused with
D7472 — Removal of torus palatinus: It is the upper-jaw version.
D7471 — Removal of lateral exostosis (maxilla or mandible): It is the upper-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.
D7473 sits in a group of eleven codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. Because the wording of these codes is so close, substituting one for another is a routine cause of rejected claims and of unexpected balances. If D7473 is on your estimate, it is worth confirming that the detail it specifies matches what is actually planned.
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 D7473
What does dental code D7473 mean?
Removal of torus mandibularis. It belongs to the oral and maxillofacial surgery section of the code set.
How much does D7473 cost?
Between $700–$1,800 in most practices — and that is the figure before any benefit is applied, not what you would pay at the desk.
Is D7473 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 D7473 and D7472?
D7472 is removal of torus palatinus: it is the upper-jaw version. Because that is the only difference, a reviewer who disagrees with it simply reprices the claim to D7472 rather than refusing it.
Also known as: alveoloplasty, torus removal, bony lump, ridge reshaping, denture preparation.