Insiders Q+A

Question: Are dentists educated about the gingivitis code yet?

Question: How do we prove that the diagnosis was completed before unless we do the evaluation on a different day than we actually provide the service?  Can we do it on the same day?  

Question: We have been taught that once someone is perio maintenance they are always perio maintenance and can't switch from perio maintenance to prophy. However, recently we are finding insurance…

Question: When a RDH takes BWX or other radiographs while the dentist is out of the office (on vacation or such) that it should not be billed out until the day that dentist returns to the office and reviews them.

Question: Can you bill the D4346 code, then bill D4341 at an appointment a few weeks later? We have a patient with that scenario. How would you advise us to proceed? Thank you in advance.

Question: The D4346 code states “In the absence of periodontitis, “ may we use the D4346 code with patients who have no history of periodontitis or treatment but loss of…

Question: Should radiographs be credited to the DDS or RDH?

Question: My office is currently working with a dental consultant from Oregon. There has been a lot of confusion regarding perio coding. If I have an existing patient with 1110 appt scheduled that day and after perio charting at the beginning of the appt I discover perio pockets that need SRP how do I code that day's appt and what is done at this appt?

Q: Where is the line between the dental hygiene diagnosis and the dentist's oral evaluation that dictates the ability to diagnose generalized moderate inflammation and therefore perform 4346?

Do you have a narrative we can use to send when submitting to insurance to include in documentation?