D7850 — Surgical discectomy, with/without implant (TMJ)
D7850 removes the disc from inside the joint, with or without replacing it with an implant.
This code belongs to a set of 22 covering temporomandibular joint treatment. The clinical detail lives in the temporomandibular joint treatment guide; the code-level detail is here.
The rest of this page deals with the specifics: the requirements written into the code, the usual range of fees, the typical benefit outcome, and how to tell it apart from its closest relatives.
D7850 against the codes beside it
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.
D7856 — Myotomy (TMJ-related): It releases or divides a jaw muscle, for spasm or restriction rather than for disease inside the joint.
D7858 — Joint reconstruction (TMJ): It rebuilds the joint, replacing damaged parts with grafts or prosthetic components.
D7850 sits in a group of 22 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. These distinctions exist because they change what was actually done. A claim for D7850 when the record describes one of the others is not a technicality — it is the difference between a paid claim and a returned one.
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 D7850
D7850 — what is it?
The procedure behind the number is surgical discectomy, with/without implant, TMJ, filed under oral and maxillofacial surgery.
What should I expect to pay for D7850?
$2,000–$8,000 is the realistic range before benefits. Your own share depends on your plan's percentage, deductible and remaining annual maximum.
How do dental plans handle D7850?
In most cases yes, at the medical / dental — often excluded rate: 0–50%. The annual maximum is what usually decides how much of that you actually see.
What is the difference between D7850 and D7852?
D7852 is disc repair, TMJ: it repairs a torn or displaced joint disc rather than removing it. Because they describe different work, D7850 and D7852 can legitimately appear on the same treatment plan — they are not alternatives to choose between.
Also known as: TMJ, TMD, jaw joint pain, arthrocentesis, jaw clicking, occlusal orthotic.