CDT Code D2740: The Porcelain/Ceramic Crown Billing Guide

One of the most billed restorative codes in dentistry — and one of the most frequently downgraded by PPO carriers. Here’s what D2740 actually covers and what practices need to watch.

CDT code D2740 is used to report a crown made of porcelain, ceramic, or zirconia material. It is one of the highest-volume indirect restoration codes in general dentistry, covering the vast majority of all-ceramic crowns placed on anterior and posterior teeth in adult patients.

Because D2740 sits at the intersection of clinical preference (ceramic is the aesthetic gold standard) and PPO payment policy (many carriers pay D2740 at a lower tier than high-noble metal crowns), it is one of the codes where fee-schedule decisions have the largest cumulative effect on practice revenue.

What D2740 actually includes

The CDT descriptor for D2740 is “Crown — porcelain/ceramic.” The code covers any full-coverage crown made of:

• Feldspathic porcelain and pressed ceramics (e.g., lithium disilicate, e.max)
• Zirconia (monolithic and layered)
• Other all-ceramic materials without a metal substructure

D2740 does not include porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns (those are D2750, D2751, D2752 depending on metal content), cast metal crowns, or resin-based crowns.

The fee schedule reality

D2740 is a widely negotiated code. The UCR fee for a D2740 varies significantly by region, with national averages generally ranging from the mid-$1,200s to over $1,700 depending on market. PPO contracted rates are typically 40–60 percent of UCR, creating one of the largest absolute-dollar write-offs in a general practice.

Common D2740 downcoding patterns

Several PPO carriers have historically applied downcoding logic to D2740 claims for posterior teeth. The most common patterns include:

• Posterior downcode to D2750 — the claim is paid at the porcelain-fused-to-metal rate on the theory that PFM is the “least expensive professionally acceptable alternative” for a molar.
• Alternate benefit to D2790 — full cast high-noble metal crown rate applied to a posterior all-ceramic crown.
• Frequency limits — most plans limit crown replacement to once every 5 to 10 years per tooth.
• Missing narrative denials — some carriers require a narrative and radiographs demonstrating crown necessity (cuspal fracture, extensive caries, endo access, etc.).

Reviewing your explanation of benefits for D2740 claims against your contracted rate is one of the fastest ways to identify systematic downcoding in your practice.

Documentation that supports D2740

To minimize denials and downcodes, D2740 claims generally benefit from:

• A pre-operative radiograph showing the condition requiring full coverage
• A clinical narrative describing cuspal fracture, previous restoration size, caries extent, or endodontic access
• A post-operative radiograph showing the completed crown
• For fracture claims, intraoral photographs documenting the clinical presentation

D2740 vs. D2750

Code selection follows the material actually used, not the patient’s preference or the benefit most likely to pay. Using D2750 when an all-ceramic crown was placed misrepresents the service and creates compliance exposure.

What patients typically pay

For patients, the out-of-pocket cost of a D2740 crown depends heavily on insurance:

• Without insurance: $1,000 to $2,000+ depending on market
• With dental PPO at in-network rate: 50 percent coinsurance typically applies, so patient pays approximately half of the contracted fee (often $400 to $700) after the deductible is met
• With HMO/DMO plan: Patient typically pays a fixed copay listed in the plan schedule, usually $300 to $600
• Annual maximums: Most PPO plans cap total annual benefit at $1,000 to $2,000, which a single crown can exhaust