What codes should I give to my dental insurance company?
With some regularity, I am asked for the relevant procedure codes to submit to a dental insurance company (e.g. MetLife, Delta Dental, etc.) to ensure that they will pay for the costs of anesthesia. The CPT code is 00170, but I hasten to clarify that that code is very likely entirely irrelevant. Allow me to explain.
Dental anesthesia is actually a medical procedure, not a dental procedure. Dental procedures are those that are performed by the dentist. When your dental insurance company says that they “cover dental anesthesia,” they are referring to sedation (e.g. nitrous oxide, oral sedation, etc.) that is administered by the dentist himself or herself, not to general anesthesia provided by a physician such as myself.
To put it another way, dental insurance pays dentists and dental facilities. In contrast, medical insurance pays medical doctors. There is simply no chance that dental insurance will pay for services provided by a medical doctor.
Amos Yang, MD 