Member review, comment solicited for changes to CDT Code

Collaboration: Members of the Code Maintenance Committee vote on changes to the CDT Code at its March 2019 meeting.

The 2021 Code on Dental Procedures and Nomenclature  — better known as the CDT Code — could include changes or additions to codes regarding oral/oropharyngeal cancer, caries management by risk assessment, laboratory surface scanning for diagnostic purposes and counseling for the control and prevention of adverse oral, behavioral and systemic health effects associated with high-risk substance use.

The ADA is inviting member dentists to review and comment on any of the 98 CDT Code change submissions that include those noted above.

No new submissions can be made at this time; this review and comment is on those submissions received by the closing date for CDT 2021, which was Nov. 1, 2019. This is a phase in the annual maintenance process where each submission is reviewed prior to the committee’s decision to accept or reject.

The Code Maintenance Committee will address a number of CDT Code action requests during its next meeting on March 12-13. The meeting is open and any interested party may attend and offer comment on any change request, with comments aiding the Code Maintenance Committee in its decision-making.

Information about the requested action requests is available at ADA.org/cdt. To view or download the code action requests, click on the drop-down menu on that page for “Next CMC Meeting — March 2020.” There are two PDFs, one for substantive requests and the other for editorial.

Members who cannot attend the meeting at ADA Headquarters in Chicago can send feedback to dentalcode@ada.org Guidelines for written feedback are located at ADA.org/en/publications/cdt/request-to-change-to-the-code. When writing comments, identify the Substantive or Editorial action request by its inventory number, which is seen on the action requests document posted online.

The CMC Secretariat, a member of the ADA staff, will convey all comments to each of the CMC member organizations before the meeting.

Member feedback is due by mid-February to allow time for the secretariat’s compilation and distribution.

The ADA Council on Dental Benefit Programs has responsibility for CDT Code maintenance.

CMC member organizations include:

• Five representatives from the ADA, one of whom will serve as chair.
• One representative from each of the 10 recognized dental specialty organizations:
  •    American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology.
  •    American Academy of Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology.
  •    American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.
  •    American Academy of Periodontology.
  •    American Association of Endodontists.
  •    American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons.
  •    American Association of Orthodontists.
  •    American Association of Public Health Dentistry.
  •    American College of Prosthodontics.
  •    American Society of Dentist Anesthesiologists.
• One representative from the Academy of General Dentistry.
• One representative from each of the following third-party payer organizations:
  •    America's Health Insurance Plans.
  •    Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.
  •    Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
  •    Delta Dental Plans Association.
  •    National Association of Dental Plans.
• One representative from the American Dental Education Association.

Email dentalcode@ada.org or call 1-800-621-8099 with any questions on code change request submissions.