D9930 — Treatment of post-surgical complications
D9930 is the appointment that deals with a complication after surgery: a dry socket, bleeding, or unusual swelling.
One of six palliative and adjunctive treatment codes. If you are trying to understand the treatment, start with the palliative and adjunctive treatment guide; if you are trying to understand this line on your estimate, you are in the right place.
Everything below is specific to this code: what it pins down, what it is worth, how a payer handles it, and which codes it is not.
D9930 against the codes beside it
D9911 — Desensitizing resin (gumline/root), per tooth: It bonds a desensitising resin onto an exposed root surface, tooth by tooth, which lasts longer than a medicament.
D9910 — Desensitizing medicament application: It applies a desensitising medicament to sensitive teeth, a quick chairside application.
D9951 — Occlusal adjustment, limited (bite adjustment): It adjusts the bite on a small number of teeth, reshaping where they meet so that the load is shared.
D9120 — Fixed bridge sectioning: It cuts a bridge in two, usually to save the sound part when one supporting tooth has failed.
D9930 sits in a group of six 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.
| Code | Procedure |
|---|---|
| D9930 | Treatment of post-surgical complications — this page |
| D9110 | Palliative treatment for dental pain |
| D9120 | Fixed bridge sectioning |
| D9910 | Desensitizing medicament application |
| D9911 | Desensitizing resin (gumline/root), per tooth |
| D9951 | Occlusal adjustment, limited (bite adjustment) |
Questions about D9930
D9930 — what is it?
Treatment of post-surgical complications, reported under a single adjunctive general services code.
How much does D9930 cost?
Between $120–$400 in most practices — and that is the figure before any benefit is applied, not what you would pay at the desk.
Does dental insurance cover D9930?
Yes on most policies, treated as basic / adjunctive work at typically 50–80%. A waiting period on a new policy is the commonest reason it is not.
What is the difference between D9930 and D9911?
D9911 is desensitizing resin (gumline/root), per tooth: it bonds a desensitising resin onto an exposed root surface, tooth by tooth, which lasts longer than a medicament. The two are neighbours by number rather than by treatment, so seeing both on a plan usually means both were genuinely planned.
Also known as: emergency dental pain, palliative treatment, sensitive teeth, high filling, bite adjustment.