D9945 is the CDT code for an occlusal guard, soft appliance, full arch. It is a fabricated full-arch soft or resilient guard used for bruxism and clenching management and occlusal protection. D9944 is the hard full-arch version and D9946 is the hard partial-arch version.
Last updated June 2026 · Reviewed by the PracticeAlpha billing team
Use D9945 when fabricating a full-arch soft occlusal guard for the patient. The guard is a resilient appliance that covers the entire arch and is used to manage bruxism and clenching and to protect the occlusion. The material is soft rather than rigid, which is what separates D9945 from the hard guard codes.
Common clinical scenarios: A patient with nighttime bruxism who needs a cushioning guard to absorb grinding forces. Clenching that is wearing the dentition or causing muscle soreness. Occlusal protection where a soft, comfortable appliance is the preferred starting option for the full arch.
Do NOT use D9945 for: A hard full-arch guard (use D9944). A hard partial-arch guard (use D9946). A sleep apnea or snoring appliance (use the D9947 to D9949 series). An athletic mouthguard. A repair, adjustment, or reline of an existing guard, which is reported with its own separate code.
Click any code to see the difference.
A resilient, cushioning full-arch guard. More comfortable for many patients and often used as a first option for lighter bruxism and clenching.
A rigid full-arch guard. More durable and better suited to heavy grinders. Same full-arch coverage but a hard material instead of soft.
Billing tip: The material is the only difference here. Soft full-arch is D9945, hard full-arch is D9944. The lab slip and clinical note should state the material so the code matches. A note that just says "occlusal guard" without the material leaves the claim open to a downgrade or a request for records.
Occlusal guards are often excluded or limited by the dental plan. Some plans do not cover guards at all, and others cap the benefit or restrict it to specific diagnoses. Verify the guard benefit before treatment so the patient knows what the plan will and will not pay, and to avoid a surprise balance after delivery.
A guard claim needs a clear bruxism or TMD diagnosis to support medical necessity. Without a narrative describing the grinding, clenching, wear, or temporomandibular symptoms, the payer has no basis to approve the appliance. Document the diagnosis and the clinical findings that justify the guard.
Most plans that cover guards allow one within a set time window. If the patient received an occlusal guard within that period, a new one is denied regardless of need. Check the guard history before treatment and, if a replacement is genuinely required, submit a narrative explaining why.
Billing an occlusal guard when the device was a sleep apnea appliance, or the reverse, triggers denials. D9945 is a bruxism guard. Sleep apnea appliances live in the D9947 to D9949 series and route to a different benefit. The documentation has to make clear which device was delivered, including that the guard is full arch and soft.
Record the diagnosis driving the guard, such as bruxism, clenching, or a temporomandibular disorder. This diagnosis is the primary support for the medical necessity of the appliance.
State that the guard is a soft material covering the full arch. Documenting both the material and the arch coverage keeps D9945 distinct from the hard and partial-arch guard codes.
Document the wear facets, muscle soreness, fractured restorations, or other findings that show the grinding or clenching is causing harm. Specific findings strengthen the claim more than a general statement.
Make clear in the record that the device is an occlusal guard for bruxism, not a sleep apnea or snoring appliance. This keeps the claim in the correct benefit category.
Verify the guard benefit and any frequency limitation before treatment. Record what the plan covers and note any prior guard so the frequency window is clear on the claim.
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Learn about our billing servicesD9945 is the CDT code for an occlusal guard, soft appliance, full arch. It is a fabricated full-arch soft or resilient occlusal guard used for bruxism and clenching management and occlusal protection. D9944 is the hard full-arch version and D9946 is the hard partial-arch version.
D9945 is a soft or resilient full-arch occlusal guard. D9944 is a hard or rigid full-arch occlusal guard. Both cover a full arch, but the material is the difference. The soft guard is more cushioning and the hard guard is more durable for heavy grinders.
D9945 is a soft full-arch occlusal guard. D9946 is a hard partial-arch occlusal guard. They differ in both material and coverage. D9945 is soft and spans the whole arch, while D9946 is rigid and covers only part of the arch.
Common reasons: occlusal guard benefits being excluded or limited by the plan, a missing bruxism or TMD diagnosis narrative, frequency limitations on a prior guard, confusion between guard codes and sleep apnea appliances, and documentation that does not specify full arch and soft material.
No. An occlusal guard such as D9945 protects the teeth from bruxism and clenching. A sleep apnea or snoring appliance is a different device with its own codes in the D9947 to D9949 range. Billing an occlusal guard code for a sleep apnea appliance is a coding error.
No. D9945 covers the fabrication of the soft full-arch occlusal guard itself. Later adjustments, relines, and repairs of an existing guard are reported with their own separate codes, not under D9945.
Search all 206 CDT codes in our dental coding guide.