D7760 — Malar and/or zygomatic arch — closed reduction (compound/open fracture)
One of the codes covering the surgical treatment of facial fractures and associated wounds. D7760 is the closed-reduction version for the cheekbone, where the fracture has broken through the skin or the mucosa.
There are 24 codes for facial fracture treatment and wound repair and they are not interchangeable. This page covers this one; the facial fracture treatment and wound repair guide covers the treatment they all share.
Below is what the code actually specifies, the fee range to expect, how dental benefits normally handle it, and the specific differences between it and the codes it is most often confused with.
D7760 in detail
Bone — the cheekbone and its arch. The zygoma forms the prominence of the cheek and the outer wall of the eye socket. Displacement shows up as a flattened cheek, a step in the orbital rim, numbness of the cheek and upper lip, and sometimes double vision — which is why these are assessed for the eye as much as for the bone.
Technique — closed reduction. The fragments are manipulated back into position without cutting down to the bone, then held — commonly by wiring the upper and lower teeth together, or with an external appliance. Less surgery, a lower fee, and a shorter theatre time; the trade-off is less control over exactly how the pieces sit, so it suits fractures that are already close to their correct position.
Fracture type — compound (open). The fracture communicates with the outside, through a break in the skin or through the mouth, which means it is contaminated from the moment it happens. That changes the treatment: debridement, antibiotics and earlier intervention, and it puts the case in the higher-numbered half of the fracture range with a correspondingly higher fee.
D7760 against the codes beside it
D7750 — Malar and/or zygomatic arch — open reduction (compound/open fracture): It is the open-reduction version of the same injury — the bone is exposed and fixed directly, which is why it is the dearer of the two.
D7770 — Alveolus — open reduction stabilization of teeth (compound/open fracture): It is the same procedure on the tooth-bearing ridge rather than the cheekbone, and by open reduction rather than closed.
D7771 — Alveolus — closed reduction stabilization of teeth (compound/open fracture): It is the same procedure on the tooth-bearing ridge rather than the cheekbone.
D7740 — Mandible — closed reduction (compound/open fracture): It is the same procedure on the lower jaw rather than the cheekbone.
D7760 sits in a group of 24 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. A single word separates several of these codes, and a payer reads that word literally. If the record does not support D7760 specifically, the claim comes back — usually repriced to whichever neighbouring code the reviewer thinks was actually performed.
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 D7760
What is D7760 on my dental bill?
Malar and/or zygomatic arch, closed reduction, compound/open fracture. It belongs to the oral and maxillofacial surgery section of the code set.
Is D7760 expensive?
Between $2,000–$9,000 in most practices — and that is the figure before any benefit is applied, not what you would pay at the desk.
Will my plan pay for D7760?
Usually yes, as medical / oral surgery treatment at variable — but coverage turns on your own policy, its annual maximum and any waiting period.
What is the difference between D7760 and D7750?
D7750 is malar and/or zygomatic arch, open reduction, compound/open fracture: it is the open-reduction version of the same injury — the bone is exposed and fixed directly, which is why it is the dearer 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.