D2952 is the CDT code for a post and core in addition to a crown, indirectly fabricated. It describes a cast post and core that is made in the dental laboratory and cemented into an endodontically treated tooth to support a crown. It is always reported in addition to the crown, and it differs from D2954, which is a prefabricated post and core built at the chair.
Last updated June 2026 · Reviewed by the PracticeAlpha billing team
Get help with D2952 claims →Use D2952 when a cast post and core is fabricated indirectly in the laboratory and cemented into an endodontically treated tooth to support a crown. The tooth has lost enough structure that a buildup alone will not retain the crown, so a post anchored in the canal is needed. The code is reported in addition to the crown.
Common clinical scenarios: An endodontically treated tooth with extensive coronal breakdown that needs a custom cast post and core. A tooth with a tapered or non-uniform canal where a custom-fit cast post is preferred. A situation where the laboratory fabricates the post and core from an impression of the prepared canal.
Do NOT use D2952 for: A prefabricated post with a chairside buildup (use D2954). A core buildup without a post (use D2950). A pin retention buildup (use D2951). A standalone crown where no post and core was placed.
Same goal, different fabrication. This is the pair payers watch most closely.
A custom post and core cast in the laboratory from an impression of the canal, then cemented as one unit. Used when a custom fit is preferred for the canal and remaining structure.
A manufactured, prefabricated post is placed into the canal and the core is built up chairside around it in the same visit. No laboratory casting of the post and core.
Billing tip: The deciding factor is fabrication, not the tooth. If the laboratory cast the post and core, report D2952. If a prefabricated post was used with a chairside core, report D2954. Reporting a cast post and core when a prefabricated post was actually used is a coding error that can trigger an audit.
A post and core is placed in an endodontically treated tooth. If the record does not show the tooth was root canal treated, the payer questions why a post was needed and may deny the claim. Document the endodontic treatment and the resulting loss of structure that justifies the post and core.
D2952 is defined as a post and core in addition to a crown. If no crown is billed for the same tooth, the post and core has no restoration to support and the claim looks incomplete. Submit the crown and the post and core together so the treatment is coherent.
Some plans only pay for a post and core when enough coronal structure is missing. If the documentation does not show significant breakdown, the payer may consider a simple buildup sufficient and downgrade or deny the post and core. Describe the extent of lost structure clearly.
Reporting D2952 when a prefabricated post was actually placed is a coding error. The laboratory must have cast the post and core for D2952 to apply. If a prefabricated post and chairside core were used, the correct code is D2954. Mismatches trigger denials and audits.
Show that the tooth was endodontically treated. The post and core is placed in a root canal treated tooth, so the prior treatment should be in the record.
Document the extent of coronal breakdown. The note should explain why a buildup alone would not retain the crown and a post anchored in the canal was needed.
Record that the post and core was cast indirectly in the laboratory. This is what distinguishes D2952 from the prefabricated D2954.
Report and document the crown placed on the tooth. D2952 is reported in addition to the crown, so the crown should appear on the claim.
A radiograph showing the post seated in the canal supports the claim and confirms the restorative approach used on the tooth.
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Learn about our billing servicesD2952 is the CDT code for a post and core in addition to a crown, indirectly fabricated. It describes a cast post and core that is made in the lab and cemented into an endodontically treated tooth to support a crown. It is reported in addition to the crown code.
D2952 is an indirectly fabricated, lab-made cast post and core. D2954 is a prefabricated post and core, where a manufactured post is placed and the core is built up chairside. The difference is whether the post and core is cast in the lab or prefabricated and built at the chair.
Yes. By definition D2952 is reported in addition to the crown. The post and core restores the tooth so it can retain the crown, and the crown is reported separately with its own restorative code.
A post and core is placed in an endodontically treated tooth, so the tooth has typically had root canal therapy. The documentation should show the endodontic treatment and the loss of tooth structure that makes a post and core necessary.
Common reasons include missing documentation of root canal treatment, no crown billed in conjunction, the tooth not having enough lost structure to justify a post, miscoding a prefabricated post as a cast post, and frequency limits on the associated crown.
No. They are alternatives for the same purpose on a tooth. You report either the indirectly fabricated cast post and core, D2952, or the prefabricated post and core, D2954, based on what was actually done, not both.
Search all 206 CDT codes in our dental coding guide.