Summary & Overview
CDT D3310: Endodontic Therapy, Anterior Tooth (Excl. Final Restoration)
CDT code D3310 designates endodontic therapy on an anterior tooth, excluding the final restoration. This procedure is a core dental service used to treat pulpitis, necrotic pulp, and other pulpal pathologies to preserve natural dentition and relieve infection or pain. Nationally, anterior root canal therapy is a common restorative intervention with implications for dental coverage, benefit design, and clinical care pathways.
Major commercial payers covered in this overview include Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna Health, and UnitedHealthcare. Readers will find a concise description of the clinical service represented by the code, common diagnostic contexts that justify the procedure, and how this code relates to adjacent endodontic and surgical CDT codes. The publication outlines payer coverage considerations, typical site-of-service expectations, and connections to related dental procedures to aid coding accuracy and claims processing.
This summary provides clinicians, coders, and payers with a clear reference for identifying when D3310 applies, how it fits within endodontic care sequences, and which associated codes commonly appear on the same service line. Data not available in the input is noted where applicable.
Billing Code Overview
CDT code D3310 represents endodontic therapy for an anterior tooth (excluding final restoration). This procedure involves the removal of diseased or damaged pulp tissue and preparation of the root canal system for obturation, addressing issues such as irreversible pulpitis and pulpal necrosis.
Service Type: Dentistry
Typical Site of Service: Dental Office (POS 11)
Clinical & Coding Specifications
Clinical Context
A patient presents to a dental office with localized pain and sensitivity in a single anterior tooth. Examination and pulp testing indicate irreversible pulpitis or pulpal necrosis, and radiographs show periapical changes consistent with apical periodontitis or a periapical abscess. The dentist (general dentist or endodontist) performs endodontic therapy on the affected anterior tooth under local anesthesia. The procedure includes access, cleaning, shaping, and obturation of the root canal system, excluding placement of the final coronal restoration. Typical workflow: history and exam, diagnostic radiographs, local anesthesia, rubber dam isolation, access preparation, canal debridement and shaping, irrigation and intracanal medication as needed, obturation, postoperative radiograph, postoperative instructions, and scheduling for final restoration placement at a subsequent visit.
Coding Specifications
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Common Modifiers
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22- Increased Procedural Services: Used when the work performed is substantially greater than typically required for CDT codeD3310. Documentation must support unusual circumstances and increased time/complexity. -
52- Reduced Services: Used when a service is partially reduced or eliminated at the dentist’s discretion. Documentation must explain why the full procedure was not completed. -
Associated Provider Taxonomies
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1223E0200X- Endodontics: Specialty trained in root canal therapy and related endodontic procedures. -
1223G0001X- General Practice Dentist: General dental practitioner providing a range of dental services including primary endodontic therapy. -
1223D0001X- Dental Public Health: Providers focused on population-level dental health; may include clinical services in public health settings.
Related Diagnoses
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K04.0- Pulpitis- Relevance: Inflammation of the dental pulp that can cause severe pain and often indicates the need for endodontic therapy such as CDT code
D3310.
- Relevance: Inflammation of the dental pulp that can cause severe pain and often indicates the need for endodontic therapy such as CDT code
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K04.1- Necrosis of pulp- Relevance: Death of the pulp tissue leading to loss of vitality and increased risk of periapical disease; commonly treated with root canal therapy represented by
D3310.
- Relevance: Death of the pulp tissue leading to loss of vitality and increased risk of periapical disease; commonly treated with root canal therapy represented by
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K04.4- Acute apical periodontitis of pulpal origin- Relevance: Acute inflammation of periapical tissues secondary to pulpal disease; often an indication for endodontic therapy like
D3310.
- Relevance: Acute inflammation of periapical tissues secondary to pulpal disease; often an indication for endodontic therapy like
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K04.5- Chronic apical periodontitis- Relevance: Long-standing periapical inflammation associated with pulpal necrosis or persistent infection; a clinical scenario for performing
D3310.
- Relevance: Long-standing periapical inflammation associated with pulpal necrosis or persistent infection; a clinical scenario for performing
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K04.7- Periapical abscess without sinus- Relevance: Localized collection of pus at the tooth apex without drainage through a sinus tract; endodontic therapy
D3310may be performed to eliminate the source.
- Relevance: Localized collection of pus at the tooth apex without drainage through a sinus tract; endodontic therapy
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K04.8- Radicular cyst- Relevance: Cystic lesion of pulpal origin at the root apex that may be associated with chronic infection; management often begins with endodontic therapy such as
D3310.
- Relevance: Cystic lesion of pulpal origin at the root apex that may be associated with chronic infection; management often begins with endodontic therapy such as
Related Codes
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D3320- Endodontic therapy, premolar tooth (excluding final restoration)- Clinical relation: Used when the treated tooth is a premolar rather than an anterior tooth; alternative to
D3310when tooth type differs.
- Clinical relation: Used when the treated tooth is a premolar rather than an anterior tooth; alternative to
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D3330- Endodontic therapy, molar tooth (excluding final restoration)- Clinical relation: Used for molar teeth; alternative to
D3310when treating a molar.
- Clinical relation: Used for molar teeth; alternative to
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D3346- Retreatment of previous root canal therapy, anterior- Clinical relation: Used when prior endodontic treatment on an anterior tooth requires retreatment rather than initial therapy represented by
D3310.
- Clinical relation: Used when prior endodontic treatment on an anterior tooth requires retreatment rather than initial therapy represented by
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D3351- Apexification/recalcification, initial visit- Clinical relation: Used for procedures addressing open apices or inducing apical closure; may be part of endodontic management in teeth requiring specialized apex treatment.
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D3410- Apicoectomy/periradicular surgery, anterior- Clinical relation: Surgical periradicular procedures performed when nonsurgical root canal treatment (such as
D3310) is unsuccessful or when surgery is indicated. These may be subsequent or alternative steps in the treatment sequence.
- Clinical relation: Surgical periradicular procedures performed when nonsurgical root canal treatment (such as
National Reimbursement Benchmarks
National mean rates for CDT code D3310 show BUCA (average commercial) at $378.27 compared with Medicare at $0.00, indicating Medicare data is not provided in the input while BUCA sits between the higher commercial payers and lower commercial payers. UnitedHealthcare and Blue Cross Blue Shield report the highest mean rates at $560.08 and $517.42 respectively; Aetna and Cigna Health report lower mean rates around $269.65 and $262.63.
Rate dispersion (P75 − P25) varies notably across payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield and UnitedHealthcare show wide dispersion (BCBS: $188.00; UnitedHealthcare: $120.59), BUCA shows moderate dispersion ($227.79), while Aetna and Cigna Health are tighter (Aetna: $38.50; Cigna Health: $55.00). The table and chart below present the full breakdown.
Trek Health ingests and normalizes Transparency in Coverage data and payer policy updates to give provider organizations a clear view of how commercial reimbursement behaves across markets, payers, and services. Our platform transforms raw payer disclosures into structured intelligence that supports contract evaluation, payer negotiations, and service line strategy. By combining market benchmarks with ongoing policy visibility, Trek helps teams identify variability, risk, and opportunity in commercial reimbursement. The result is faster insight, stronger negotiating positions, and more informed financial decisions.