D0272 is the CDT code for a set of two bitewing X-rays, usually one on each side, billed as one line.
- When to use: The office takes exactly two bitewing images in the session, typically one per side for a child or for an adult with fewer back teeth to cover.
- When not to use: One bitewing is D0270, three are D0273, four are D0274, and a vertical set of seven to eight is D0277.
- Billing note: Most plans pool bitewing frequency across the family, so check the date of the last set of any size before the visit.
What D0272 covers
D0272 reports a two-image bitewing set, billed as a single line. A bitewing shows the crowns of the upper and lower teeth in one view with the contact points lined up, so the dentist can read interproximal decay and check the bone crest. The whole bitewing family codes by how many images are taken, not by which teeth they show.
It does not cover:
- One, three, or four bitewing images. Use D0270, D0273, or D0274 (see the family below).
- A vertical bitewing set of seven to eight images. That is D0277.
- A periapical, which shows the full tooth down to the root tip. The first is D0220 and each additional one is D0230.
- A full intraoral complete series. That is D0210.
When to bill D0272
Bill D0272 when the office captures exactly two bitewing images in the session, typically a left and a right posterior bitewing. Two images, one per side, is the usual set for a child in primary or mixed dentition, or for an adult whose remaining back teeth fit in one image per side. An adult with full premolars and molars usually needs four (D0274).
How D0272 fits the bitewing family
The codes step up by image count, and the code must match the images actually taken:
- D0270 is one bitewing image.
- D0272 is two.
- D0273 is three.
- D0274 is four.
- D0277 is a vertical bitewing series of seven to eight images, used when the clinical question is alveolar bone level rather than interproximal decay.
There is no rule to bill per image and let the carrier add them up. The set codes exist so a multi-image bitewing session bills as one line.
Bitewings versus periapicals versus the full series
Keeping these image types separate prevents most diagnostic-imaging adjustments:
- A bitewing (D0270 through D0277) is an interproximal view of the crowns and bone crest on the back teeth, not the root tips. It finds decay between teeth and reads early bone loss.
- A periapical (D0220 first, D0230 each additional) captures the whole tooth, crown through root apex, plus surrounding bone. It answers root-level questions: abscess, fracture, retained root, pre-extraction.
- A panoramic (D0330) is a single extraoral image of both arches, the jaws, and the sinuses.
- A complete series (D0210) is a comprehensive intraoral set meant to show the entire mouth. CDT 2023 removed the old 14 to 22 image wording, so the dentist decides the number and type of images.
A panoramic plus a couple of bitewings is not a complete series. Reporting that mix as D0210 is a known error and a clear reason for a carrier to adjust the claim.
Frequency limits and downcoding
Most plans allow a bitewing set on a set interval, commonly once or twice per benefit year, and the allowance pools the whole bitewing family rather than tracking D0272 on its own. A set taken inside the allowance pays; one taken outside it denies on frequency. The interval, the reset basis, and any pediatric variation are set by the individual plan, so confirm them during verification.
Separately, some plans cap the bitewing benefit at the single-image rate and reimburse a two-image set as if it were one bitewing. On the EOB that reads like a downcode from D0272 to D0270, but it is plan benefit design, not a coding correction. Keep submitting D0272 for two images, post what the plan allows, and bill the patient any balance the plan rules allow.
Documentation that supports the claim
A routine recall set rarely needs a narrative. When a carrier asks, the supporting facts are:
- The teeth or quadrants imaged and the clinical reason (recall, decay check, contact concern).
- The date of the prior bitewings, so a frequency question answers itself.
- The images, attached when requested or when the visit falls outside the normal recall pattern.
Most D0272 denials are frequency denials, so keep each patient’s last bitewing date where the billing team can see it.
FAQs
- Is D0272 the same as billing D0270 twice?
- No. D0272 is one code for a two-image set, and billing two units of D0270 for the same two films is a coding error that many carriers downcode or reject. If two bitewings were taken, the claim is one line of D0272.
- What is the difference between D0272 and D0274?
- Image count. D0272 is two bitewings and D0274 is four. A four-image recall set is D0274, not two units of D0272. Read the count off the chart and bill the single code that matches it.
- How often will a plan pay for D0272?
- Commonly once or twice per benefit year, set by the plan. The limit pools all bitewing codes together rather than tracking D0272 separately, and a two-image set taken outside that window denies on frequency. Verify the interval before the visit.
- Can a carrier downgrade D0272 to D0270?
- In effect, yes. Some plans pay only one bitewing benefit and reimburse a two-image set at the single-image rate, which looks like a downcode on the EOB. This is plan benefit design, not a clinical judgment. Still submit the code that matches the images taken, and read the reimbursement off the EOB.
Related codes
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CDT codes are maintained by the American Dental Association. This page is an editorial billing guide, not the official ADA code descriptor. Verify current coverage policies with each carrier before submitting claims.