D7540 — Removal of reaction-producing foreign bodies — musculoskeletal system
D7540 removes foreign material that is provoking a reaction in muscle or bone, which is deeper and more involved work.
One of eight cyst and tumour removal codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the cyst and tumour removal guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
What the code requires, what it costs, how it is paid, and how to tell it from its neighbours — each in its own section below.
How D7540 differs from its neighbours
D7530 — Removal of foreign body — from mucosa, skin, or subcutaneous alveolar tissue: It removes a foreign body lodged in gum, skin or the soft tissue over the jaw.
D7509 — Marsupialization of odontogenic cyst: It marsupialises a cyst instead of removing it: the cyst is opened and left draining so that it shrinks before any definitive surgery.
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.
D7461 — Removal of benign nonodontogenic cyst or tumor — greater than 1.25 cm: It removes a non-odontogenic benign cyst or tumour larger than 1.25 centimetres.
D7540 sits in a group of eight codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A plan reads these codes as definitions, not as descriptions. If the notes for the visit do not match D7540 exactly, the claim is assessed as whichever of these the notes do match.
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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D7540 | Removal of reaction-producing foreign bodies — musculoskeletal system — this page |
| D7450 | Removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor — up to 1.25 cm |
| D7451 | Removal of benign odontogenic cyst or tumor — greater than 1.25 cm |
| D7460 | Removal of benign nonodontogenic cyst or tumor — up to 1.25 cm |
| D7461 | Removal of benign nonodontogenic cyst or tumor — greater than 1.25 cm |
| D7490 | Radical resection of maxilla or mandible |
| D7509 | Marsupialization of odontogenic cyst |
| D7530 | Removal of foreign body — from mucosa, skin, or subcutaneous alveolar tissue |
Questions about D7540
What is D7540 on my dental bill?
Removal of reaction-producing foreign bodies, musculoskeletal system, reported under a single oral and maxillofacial surgery code.
Is D7540 expensive?
Usually somewhere in $600–$1,600 as a gross fee. The code fixes what was done, not what it costs, so ask for the practice's own figure in writing.
Is D7540 a covered benefit?
Most plans include it under major oral surgery / medical benefits, variable. A pre-treatment estimate is the only way to know your own number in advance.
What is the difference between D7540 and D7530?
D7530 is removal of foreign body, from mucosa, skin, or subcutaneous alveolar tissue: it removes a foreign body lodged in gum, skin or the soft tissue over the jaw. They are different operations that happen to sit next to each other in the code set, so one is not an alternative way of billing the other.
Also known as: jaw cyst, odontogenic cyst, ameloblastoma, marsupialisation, jaw tumour.