D2799 is the CDT code for a provisional crown placed when further treatment or completion of diagnosis is necessary before taking the final impression. It is a temporary full-coverage restoration, not a definitive one. The code specifically requires that ongoing diagnosis or treatment planning makes a permanent crown premature at the time of placement.
Get help with D2799 claims →Last updated June 2026 · Reviewed by the PracticeAlpha billing team
Pulpal status is uncertain after crown prep. Periodontal surgery is planned before the final crown. The tooth needs monitoring before committing to a permanent restoration.
Provisional placed while waiting for RCT, osseous surgery, or implant integration before taking the final impression. The provisional bridges the clinical gap.
When the final form needs to be worn and evaluated for patient approval or occlusal function before fabricating the permanent crown. More common in complex anterior cases.
Do NOT use D2799 for: Routine temporaries placed on the same day as a planned permanent crown when no further diagnosis is pending. The standard two-appointment crown procedure (prep and seat) generally does not create a billable D2799 on its own under most plan interpretations. Implant-supported provisionals use different codes. When the final crown impression is taken the same day, a separate D2799 claim is not appropriate.
Many plans treat the provisional as part of the total crown fee and will not pay D2799 as a separate benefit. This is the most common D2799 billing issue. If a permanent crown code (D2740, D2750, etc.) is billed on the same tooth in the same benefit period, the plan often denies D2799 as a duplicate or bundled service. Review the patient's EOB language after the first claim to know the plan's policy before billing a second claim.
Billing D2799 and a permanent crown code on the same date is almost always denied. The prep date (when the provisional is placed) and the seat date (when the permanent crown is delivered) are different days. D2799 goes on the prep date, and the permanent crown code goes on the seat date. Never combine them on the same date unless specifically directed by the payer.
The CDT description of D2799 requires that further treatment or diagnosis is necessary before the final impression. If the chart simply says "placed temp crown" without documenting why a provisional was clinically necessary (pending RCT, uncertain pulpal status, planned perio surgery, etc.), the claim has weak support. Document the specific clinical reason the provisional was placed instead of proceeding to the final impression.
Some plans explicitly exclude provisional or temporary crowns from coverage. This is a plan exclusion, not a coding error. Verify benefits before treatment. If the plan excludes temporaries, the patient is responsible for the provisional fee. Document that the patient was informed before treatment.
Document why the final impression was not taken at this visit. Uncertain pulpal status, pending RCT, planned perio surgery, or need to evaluate occlusion and aesthetics first.
D2799 should be on the prep visit date. The permanent crown code goes on the seat visit date. Same-day billing of both triggers automatic denial from most payers.
Confirm before treatment whether the patient's plan covers provisionals separately. If the plan bundles it into the permanent crown fee, inform the patient of the potential out-of-pocket cost upfront.
Tooth number must match between the D2799 claim and the future permanent crown claim. Consistency across visits prevents review issues when two crown-related claims appear on the same tooth.
Provisional crown claims being denied or bundled? We handle the billing so every billable service is captured correctly.
Learn about our billing servicesD2799 is the CDT code for a provisional crown placed when further treatment or completion of diagnosis is needed before taking the final impression. It is a temporary full-coverage restoration, not a permanent one.
D2799 is a provisional (temporary) crown. D2740 is a permanent all-porcelain or all-ceramic crown. D2799 is placed when treatment is still ongoing; D2740 is the definitive final restoration. Most plans will not pay both codes on the same tooth within a short benefit period.
Coverage varies. Many plans bundle the provisional into the permanent crown fee and deny D2799 separately. Some plans do pay D2799 as a separate benefit, especially when placed months before the permanent crown. Verify the patient's plan before billing.
Common reasons: plan bundles it with the permanent crown, billing on the same date as a permanent crown code, missing clinical rationale for why a provisional was necessary, and plans that exclude temporaries from coverage.
No. Billing D2799 and a permanent crown code on the same date triggers automatic denial from most payers. The provisional goes on the prep date; the permanent crown code goes on the seat date.
D2799 is appropriate when pulpal status is uncertain after prep, when RCT or periodontal surgery is pending, or when occlusion and aesthetics need to be evaluated before final fabrication.
Search all CDT codes in our dental coding guide.