CDT 2027 and ICD-10-CM: clean up your claim crosswalk
Use the mismatch between ICD-10-CM and CDT effective dates to fix diagnosis pointers, payer rules and medical-dental claim workflows before January denials appear.
What changed in CDT 2026
The ADA reported 60 changes for CDT 2026. Delta Dental of Kansas summarized them as 31 additions, 14 revisions, 6 deletions and 9 editorial actions. Two deletions affect everyday billing:
- D1352 deleted. The descriptor for
D2391was revised so it no longer depends on whether the lesion reaches dentin; a one-surface posterior resin restoration is reported with D2391. - D9248 deleted. Non-intravenous conscious sedation is now reported with new anesthesia codes. Report by route and level of sedation from the current CDT manual.
- Obsolete vaccine codes removed. Four COVID-19 vaccine administration codes (D1705, D1706, D1707, D1712) were deleted because those products are no longer supplied.
New 2026 codes cover areas such as point-of-care saliva testing, cracked-tooth testing, implant scaling and debridement, and denture duplication. Always take code numbers and descriptors from the current CDT manual.
A 7-step update checklist for billing teams
- Retire deleted codesInactivate D1352, D9248 and the deleted vaccine codes in your fee schedule so they cannot be posted for 2026 dates of service.
- Add the new codesLoad new codes with fees in every fee schedule (UCR and each PPO) your office uses.
- Update scrub rulesAdd edits that block deleted codes and flag sedation lines missing route/level documentation.
- Refresh templatesRevise clinical note and narrative templates for sedation and posterior composites.
- Brief the front deskPatient estimates for sealants, resin restorations and sedation may change.
- Watch payer bulletinsPayers publish their own implementation notes; frequencies and coverage may change separately.
- Audit January claimsReview the first 2–3 weeks of 2026 rejections and denials for code-set errors.
Date of service decides the code set
Claims are coded using the CDT version in effect on the date of service, not the date you submit. A December 2025 sedation visit billed in January 2026 still uses the 2025 code set. Make sure your PMS is not converting old dates to new codes automatically.
How Dental Billing Community helps
Our coders update scrub rules every December, review sedation and restorative claims before submission, and train front-desk teams on estimate changes — so the annual CDT update does not turn into a January denial spike. Book a free billing assessment to see how your office handled the 2026 transition.
Frequently asked questions
Can I still bill D1352 for 2025 dates of service?
Yes. Claims use the code set in effect on the date of service.
Where do I find the new code numbers and descriptors?
In the ADA’s CDT 2026 manual. Descriptors are copyrighted by the ADA, so payer bulletins usually summarize rather than reproduce them.
Do payers have to cover new codes?
No. A valid code is not a coverage guarantee. Verify benefits before treatment.
Sources & further reading
Educational content only — not legal, coding-certification or payer-specific advice. Code sets (CDT, CPT, ICD-10-CM, HCPCS) and payer policies change; always confirm against the current code manual and the patient's plan. CDT is © American Dental Association. CPT is © American Medical Association.