Dental Procedures by Recorded Medicaid Estimates | PlainDentalCost
PlainDentalCost ranks CDT-coded dental procedures by the number of jurisdictions with a recorded modeled Medicaid estimate in this database snapshot. It is not a live coverage or reimbursement determination.
Research period:
Research question
Across the CDT-coded dental procedures tracked by PlainDentalCost, which have a recorded modeled Medicaid estimate in the most jurisdictions, and how do those counts relate to the average modeled estimate and procedure category?
Methodology
This ranking reflects the recorded database snapshot cited below. It is not a live coverage, reimbursement, or eligibility determination.
Coverage and exclusions: the ranking excludes rows without a recorded Medicaid fee. State schedules and benefit rules can change after the snapshot, so confirm current coverage, limits, and authorization requirements with the state program.
Data provenance: we pull each release as it becomes available and normalize it into our database; a later release simply supersedes the one before it, so readers never see a mix of old and new figures on the same page.
Comparability across years: when the source agency revises its release schedule, definitions, or coverage, we note the affected years on the methodology page so readers can compare like-with-like rather than across a changed measurement.
Corrections are checked against the cited primary source before the database snapshot is changed.
Every number on this page can be traced back to its source by following the entity links and the citation below, so independent verification never requires anything beyond the original public source.
See the methodology page for the complete ETL pipeline, source vintage, and column lineage.
Top 10 Dental Procedures by Number of US States Covering Under Medicaid
Database snapshot: recorded Medicaid-fee rows
The ranked top 10
Every row below reflects this 10-record database snapshot. Check the source program for current benefit decisions.
| # | Procedure (CDT) | D-code | Jurisdictions with recorded estimate | Category | Avg Medicaid fee across states ($) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Periodic Oral Evaluation | D0120 | 40 | Diagnostic | 29.783 |
| 2 | Limited Oral Evaluation (Problem Focused) | D0140 | 40 | Diagnostic | 34.918 |
| 3 | Comprehensive Oral Evaluation | D0150 | 40 | Diagnostic | 47.242 |
| 4 | Intraoral Complete Series of Radiographs | D0210 | 40 | Diagnostic | 65.728 |
| 5 | Intraoral Periapical First Radiograph | D0220 | 40 | Diagnostic | 17.459 |
| 6 | Bitewing Radiographs - Four Films | D0274 | 40 | Diagnostic | 35.945 |
| 7 | Panoramic Radiographic Image | D0330 | 40 | Diagnostic | 63.674 |
| 8 | Prophylaxis - Adult | D1110 | 40 | Preventive | 57.512 |
| 9 | Prophylaxis - Child | D1120 | 40 | Preventive | 44.161 |
| 10 | Topical Application of Fluoride Varnish | D1206 | 40 | Preventive | 22.594 |
Source: ADA HPI Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium and MACPAC adult dental coverage tiers. State-dollar values are modeled estimates in PlainDentalCost's recorded snapshot, not live fee schedules or benefit information.
Findings
Top entity in the ranking
The top-ranked record in this snapshot is Periodic Oral Evaluation, with a recorded estimate in 40 jurisdictions. The full top-10 set is shown above. Values are derived from the documented database snapshot rather than typed into individual pages. A later verified source update can replace this snapshot; see the methodology page for its date and limits.
Distribution shape
The gap between the top-ranked record (40) and the 10th-ranked record (40) characterizes how concentrated the top of the distribution is. Where the top value is many multiples of the median value of the visible set, the population is highly concentrated, a small number of entities accumulate the bulk of the measured quantity. Where the top and bottom of the visible set are close together, the distribution is relatively flat across the top end. The full distribution beyond this top-10 cut is summarized in the aggregate context section below and explored in the linked entity profiles.
Aggregate context
Across all tracked procedures, the snapshot's summary figures put this top-10 ranking in context: the number of qualifying records, the total recorded count, and the average per-record value. The methodology page explains which rows are included and why records without an estimate are excluded. These summaries and the ranking use the same documented snapshot.
Source provenance
This ranking uses the ADA HPI Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium and MACPAC adult dental coverage tiers. The state-dollar figures are modeled estimates, not live transcriptions of state fee schedules, and a recorded estimate does not establish current reimbursement, eligibility, provider participation, or a covered benefit. The methodology page documents the source links, snapshot date, and how the figures are prepared.
Why this ranking matters
Rankings like this one let a reader scan a population quickly and identify outliers, concentrations, and patterns that warrant deeper investigation. The detail pages linked from each entity in the table above give the full per-entity context: time-series history where available, related metrics from adjacent tables, and links onward to the underlying source records. The methodology page explains how an entity earns inclusion in the dataset and how the ranking column is computed at the source.
What this analysis cannot tell us
Procedure-coverage counts sum the number of US states that carry a non-null modeled Medicaid estimate for the CDT D-code in the PlainDentalCost database snapshot. A state's appearance in the per-procedure coverage count means a modeled estimate is present, it does not guarantee active reimbursement, provider participation, member access, or absence of prior-authorization requirements. Procedures cataloged here are the 62 most-searched CDT D-codes by PlainDentalCost's selection methodology and do not represent the full ADA CDT code set. Categorization (Diagnostic, Preventive, Restorative, etc.) follows the ADA Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature category classifications as of the database vintage. Average fee figures across states are unweighted by population, provider count, or claim volume and should not be used as a national average reimbursement estimate. This data does not constitute clinical advice, fee guarantee, treatment recommendation, or coverage assurance for any individual procedure, provider, or Medicaid member. Out-of-pocket cost in private-pay settings can differ substantially from the Medicaid fees shown here.
Secondary cut from the same source
Top 10 dental procedures by average modeled Medicaid estimate across jurisdictions with a non-null estimate
Sources
- American Dental Association, Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature (CDT) - https://www.ada.org/publications/cdt
- ADA Health Policy Institute, Medicaid Reimbursement Compendium - https://www.ada.org/resources/research/health-policy-institute