D7951 — Sinus lift (lateral/open approach)
D7951 lifts the sinus floor through a window cut in the side of the jaw, the approach used when a lot of height has to be gained.
One of five bone grafting and sinus surgery codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the bone grafting and sinus surgery guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
This page sets out the conditions the code carries, what practices charge for it, how a plan is likely to assess it, and the named difference between it and each of its neighbours.
The nearby codes and how they differ
D7952 — Sinus lift (vertical/crestal approach): It is the same procedure specified for vertical crestal rather than for lateral open.
D7953 — Bone graft for ridge/socket preservation: It packs graft material into a socket or a thin ridge to hold its shape for a future implant.
D7995 — Synthetic graft — mandible or facial bones, by report: It is the by-report code used when nothing more specific fits.
D7295 — Harvest of bone for use in autogenous grafting procedure: It harvests the patient's own bone from another site so that it can be grafted, and is billed in addition to the graft itself.
Those four codes and D7951 are the whole group — nothing else describes this procedure. 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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D7951 | Sinus lift (lateral/open approach) — this page |
| D7295 | Harvest of bone for use in autogenous grafting procedure |
| D7952 | Sinus lift (vertical/crestal approach) |
| D7953 | Bone graft for ridge/socket preservation |
| D7995 | Synthetic graft — mandible or facial bones, by report |
Questions about D7951
What is D7951 on my dental bill?
Read literally, D7951 means sinus lift, lateral/open approach — and payers do read it literally.
How much does D7951 cost?
$1,500–$3,500 covers most of the country. Specialist practices and big-city addresses tend to sit in the upper half.
Does dental insurance cover D7951?
It normally falls under major / surgical 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 D7951 and D7952?
D7952 is sinus lift, vertical/crestal approach: it is the same procedure specified for vertical crestal rather than for lateral open. Apart from that, the two describe the same treatment — which is why the notes for the visit matter more here than the code itself.
Also known as: bone graft, socket preservation, sinus lift, ridge augmentation, graft material.