D7671 — Alveolus — open reduction, may include stabilization of teeth
One of the codes covering the surgical treatment of facial fractures and associated wounds. D7671 is the open-reduction version for the tooth-bearing ridge.
24 codes describe facial fracture treatment and wound repair, and this is one of them. What separates it from the other 23 is the subject of this page; the facial fracture treatment and wound repair guide covers the treatment itself.
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.
What D7671 specifies
Bone — the tooth-bearing ridge. An alveolar fracture takes a segment of bone and the teeth in it together, typically from a direct blow to the front of the mouth. Treatment stabilises the teeth along with the bone, and the survival of those teeth is the thing being judged afterwards.
Technique — open reduction. The bone is exposed through an incision so the fractured ends can be seen and held directly, usually with plates and screws. It is the more involved of the two approaches and the one used when the fragments will not line up any other way, when they are displaced, or when several pieces are involved. It carries the higher fee of the pair for that reason.
Fracture type — simple (closed). The overlying skin and mucosa are intact, so the fracture site is not contaminated. These are the lower-numbered fracture codes and the lower fees; the same bone treated as a compound fracture has a separate code higher in the range.
Where the line falls between D7671 and the rest
D7670 — Alveolus — closed reduction, may include stabilization of teeth: It is the closed-reduction version of the same injury — the fragments are set without exposing the bone, which is why it is the cheaper of the two.
D7680 — Facial bones — complicated reduction with fixation and multiple surgical approaches: It is the same procedure on the facial bones rather than the tooth-bearing ridge, and by complicated reduction rather than open.
D7660 — Malar and/or zygomatic arch — closed reduction: It is the same procedure on the cheekbone rather than the tooth-bearing ridge, and by closed reduction rather than open.
D7650 — Malar and/or zygomatic arch — open reduction: It is the same procedure on the cheekbone rather than the tooth-bearing ridge.
D7671 sits in a group of 24 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. There is no penalty for asking which of these is planned, and there is a real cost to finding out from an explanation of benefits weeks later.
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 D7671
What is D7671 on my dental bill?
D7671 is shorthand for alveolus, open reduction, may include stabilization of teeth — the same five characters every practice and every insurer in the country uses for it.
What should I expect to pay for D7671?
The usual range is $2,000–$9,000. Anything well outside it is worth a question rather than an assumption.
How do dental plans handle D7671?
Typically, yes — medical / oral surgery benefits, variable. What varies between plans is the frequency limit rather than whether the procedure is covered at all.
What is the difference between D7671 and D7670?
D7670 is alveolus, closed reduction, may include stabilization of teeth: it is the closed-reduction version of the same injury — the fragments are set without exposing the bone, which is why it is the cheaper of the two. 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 fracture, facial trauma, open reduction, closed reduction, maxillofacial injury.