D7910 — Suture of recent small wounds — up to 5 cm
D7910 sutures a small recent wound of up to 5 centimetres in the mouth or on the face.
This is the most commonly reported of the 24 facial fracture treatment and wound repair codes, which is why it is the one people usually see on an estimate. The full account of the treatment is in our facial fracture treatment and wound repair guide.
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.
Told apart from the codes it is confused with
D7911 — Complicated suture — up to 5 cm: It is the complicated variant, requiring a supporting narrative.
D7912 — Complicated suture — greater than 5 cm: It is the complicated variant, requiring a supporting narrative.
D7920 — Skin graft (oral/maxillofacial): It grafts skin to an oral or facial site, usually to close a defect left by surgery or injury.
D7997 — Appliance removal (not by the dentist who placed it): It removes an appliance that a different dentist placed, and is billed by the practice picking the case up.
D7910 sits in a group of 24 codes in total; the remainder are linked at the foot of this page. Two of these codes on one estimate is not necessarily an error, but it is always worth asking what each line is for.
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 D7910
What does dental code D7910 mean?
On a claim, D7910 tells the insurer that what was performed was suture of recent small wounds, up to 5 cm.
What should I expect to pay for D7910?
Usually somewhere in $200–$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.
Does dental insurance cover D7910?
Yes on most policies, treated as medical / oral surgery work at variable. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D7910 and D7911?
D7911 is complicated suture, up to 5 cm: it is the complicated variant, requiring a supporting narrative. 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.