A procedure code is a specific code that identifies a dental service or procedure, which is essential for treatment planning, billing, and insurance purposes within a dental practice.
Topics Covered
Add New Procedure Code
Watch this video for a concise summary.
To add a new Procedure Code, perform the steps below.
Navigate to the System Menu > select Practice Settings > Codes > Procedure Codes.
Click +Add New Procedure Code.
- Enter the required Details on the Add New Procedure Code slide-out. Check below for a description of the items.
- Code Type: Select whether this will be a Dental, Medical, or Other code type.
- Code: Enter a name for the procedure or product code.
- Code in Claims/Authorizations: If this is a dental procedure code, this is how it will appear in claims and authorizations.
- Description: Enter a description for the purpose of this procedure code, if needed. The recommended description is to follow the verbiage dictated by the ADA and AMA guidelines.
- Short Name: Enter a shortened name that will appear for this procedure code to make it more easily identifiable.
- Service Type: If this is a dental procedure code, select the service type that corresponds with this procedure.
- CDT Category: If this is a dental procedure code, select the CDT category that corresponds with this procedure.
- Default Billing Order: Select whether or not this code should be billed to insurance.
- Effective Date: If necessary, enter an effective date for when this procedure code should be activated in the system.
- Termination Date: If necessary, enter a termination date for when this procedure code should be terminated in the system.
- ICD Code Mandatory: Select whether an ICD diagnosis code should be mandatory for this code whenever it is completed.
- Is Code Ortho?: Select whether this is a code for orthodontic dentistry.
- Use only for patients under 18: Select whether this code should only be available for patients under 18.
- Apply Smart Code Logic: If this is a dental procedure code, select whether to apply Smart Code Logic whenever this code is treatment planned. This helps in instances where you want the system to automatically upgrade a 2-surface code to a 3-surface code if the user is charting it for 3 surfaces.
- Apply Sales Tax: Select Yes, particularly if you will charge sales tax for the purchase of this product or service.
- Label: Choose a label for the procedure code, as needed.
Note: The ICD code refers to the International Classification of Diseases code. The CDT category refers to a classification within dental coding where each category is associated with a number series that identifies the type of dental service provided. |
You can enter the optional Additional Details given below. The draw types set here will reflect visually on the tooth images displayed in the Odontogram. You will also find the Preview of the configured draw type on the right side.
-
Type: Select whether this code should have a draw-type that appears on the patient's chart.
- Some options require tooth selection.
- Applicable to: Select whether this code should be applicable to a tooth number, area of the mouth, a quadrant, or none.
- Tooth Set (applicable for Tooth and Tooth or Quadrant): Select the tooth set such as Primary, Anterior, etc.
- Area (only applicable to Mouth, Quadrant and Tooth or Quadrant): Specify the area to which the procedure is applicable.
- Applicable on multiple teeth (applicable for Tooth and Tooth or Quadrant): Enable this setting to allow adding a single treatment code on multiple teeth.
- Ask for Surface (applicable for Tooth and Tooth or Quadrant): Specify the surface to which the procedure is applicable.
- Ask for Material (applicable for Tooth and Tooth or Quadrant): Specify the material which has to be used for the procedure.
- Draw on Chart (applicable for Tooth, Tooth or Quadrant): Choose if you want to enable draw on chart to display draw type.
-
Draw Type (applicable for Tooth, Tooth or Quadrant): Choose the draw type for the treatment code.
- To add a Character Draw Type, select Character (Tooth) or Character (Surface). Up to 2 characters can be entered for a tooth, and 1 character for a surface
| Tip: You will find the Preview of the configured draw type on the right. |
- Provider Type: Select a default provider type for the code. If the code is set to be added/completed under a provider of another type, a warning will be displayed.
- Check theSet as Mandatory checkbox to set the selected provider as mandatory.
- Click Save.
|
Note: The tooth chart may display the upper set of teeth and the lower set of teeth to be entirely different. This is due to the configured Draw Type and Tooth Set. For example, a Full Denture can be set up for either the Maxillary or Mandibular area. Maxillary molars are present in the upper jaw, whereas mandibular molars exist in the lower jaw. Once we try to add the code for a patient inside a tooth in the Maxillary area, the draw type would be visible for all the teeth in the Maxillary area (Upper Jaw). At the same time, when the code type is set as Partial Denture inside the Practice settings, the draw type would be visible for that single tooth alone, contrary to the Full Denture type. |
View & Edit Procedure Codes
Explore this video for an in-depth walkthrough.
- You can view the newly created procedure code on the Procedure Codes grid.
- You can utilize the filters to find your intended procedure code from the grid.
- Click View to see the details of the procedure code.
- Click Edit to directly make any changes to existing procedure codes. Once you have made changes, click Save to update them.
Once you have made changes, click Save.
Practices can use this simple guide to learn how to add, view, and edit procedure codes in CareStack!