D7840 — Condylectomy (TMJ)
D7840 removes the condyle, the ball at the top of the lower jaw, where disease has destroyed it.
There are 22 codes for temporomandibular joint treatment and they are not interchangeable. This page covers this one; the temporomandibular joint treatment guide covers the treatment they all share.
What follows is the detail behind the number: the conditions the code sets, its typical fee, its usual benefit treatment, and a code-by-code comparison with its closest neighbours.
D7840 against the codes beside it
D7830 — Manipulation under anesthesia (TMJ): It manipulates the joint while the patient is anaesthetised, to free a joint that will not move under normal conditions.
D7850 — Surgical discectomy, with/without implant (TMJ): It removes the disc from inside the joint, with or without replacing it with an implant.
D7852 — Disc repair (TMJ): It repairs a torn or displaced joint disc rather than removing it.
D7854 — Synovectomy (TMJ): It removes the inflamed lining of the joint.
D7840 sits in a group of 22 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 D7840
What does dental code D7840 mean?
Condylectomy, tmj, reported under a single oral and maxillofacial surgery code.
What is the typical fee for D7840?
Plan for $2,000–$8,000 as the full fee. Two practices a few miles apart can sit at opposite ends of that range for the same work.
Does dental insurance cover D7840?
It normally falls under medical / dental — often excluded cover, 0–50%. Whether a particular claim is paid depends more on your history with the plan than on the code.
What is the difference between D7840 and D7830?
D7830 is manipulation under anesthesia, TMJ: it manipulates the joint while the patient is anaesthetised, to free a joint that will not move under normal conditions. One does not substitute for the other; if both are listed, ask what each appointment is actually for.
Also known as: TMJ, TMD, jaw joint pain, arthrocentesis, jaw clicking, occlusal orthotic.