D0350 is the CDT code for a 2D oral or facial photographic image, captured inside or outside the mouth — a flat clinical photo taken with an intraoral camera or DSLR for the record, not an X-ray.
It carries no radiation, and most plans do not pay it as a separate benefit — the realistic expectation is bundled or non-covered.
What D0350 covers
D0350 reports a two-dimensional photographic image of the teeth or face, taken either inside the mouth or outside it. Think intraoral-camera shots of a cracked cusp or a soft-tissue lesion, or an extraoral photo of a facial profile for orthodontic records. The defining facts are that it is a photograph, it is flat (2D), and it carries no radiation.
It is a documentation image. Its job is to show a condition visually, support a diagnosis, track a change over time, or back up another claim with a picture the carrier can see.
It does not cover:
- Any radiograph. X-rays are separate codes: bitewings D0270 through D0277, periapicals D0220 and D0230, panoramic D0330, complete series D0210.
- A 3D photographic image. That is D0351.
- 3D radiographic capture such as cone-beam imaging, which lives in the D0364 through D0367 range.
When to bill D0350
Report D0350 when the office captures a flat clinical photograph for the diagnostic record. Common situations:
- An intraoral-camera image of a fracture, recurrent decay, or a failing restoration.
- A soft-tissue or lesion photo documenting pathology before referral or biopsy.
- Extraoral facial photographs taken as part of orthodontic or treatment-planning records.
- A pre-treatment image attached to a crown, trauma, or pathology claim to support medical necessity.
If the image is an X-ray, D0350 is wrong. If it is a 3D photographic capture, the code is D0351, not D0350.
D0350 versus radiographs
This is the distinction that matters most for coding. A photograph and a radiograph answer different questions and live in different code lanes:
- D0350 is a camera photograph. It shows surface appearance: color, texture, visible fracture lines, soft-tissue changes. No radiation.
- A bitewing (D0270 to D0277), periapical (D0220, D0230), panoramic (D0330), or complete series (D0210) is a radiograph. It shows internal structure: interproximal decay, root anatomy, bone level, periapical pathology.
A photo never substitutes for the radiograph on a claim that requires an X-ray. If a crown claim needs a pre-op radiograph, a D0350 photo does not satisfy that requirement, though it can ride along as extra support.
D0350 versus D0351
The two photographic codes split on dimension:
- D0350 is a 2D image, the flat photographs most offices take every day.
- D0351 is a 3D photographic image, a volumetric capture that is far less common in general practice.
Almost every routine clinical photo is D0350. Reach for D0351 only when the capture is genuinely three-dimensional photography, not a standard camera shot.
What carriers actually pay
The realistic picture: a clinical photo is usually adjunctive in the carrier’s eyes. It supports a diagnosis or a primary procedure rather than standing alone as a billable service, so the common outcomes are a bundle into the associated treatment or a flat non-covered denial. A subset of plans reimburse D0350 in defined circumstances, but that is the exception, not the rule, and it varies by plan, contract, and network status.
Because coverage is genuinely plan-dependent, the move is to verify before the visit if the office plans to bill it, and to tell the patient up front that the photo may not be a covered benefit. The real value of D0350 in most cases is not the reimbursement on the photo itself. It is the photo strengthening the claim it is attached to.
Documentation that supports the claim
When D0350 is reported, the record should carry:
- The patient identifier and the date the image was captured.
- A short description of what the photo shows and why it was taken (the lesion, the fracture, the orthodontic record set).
- A note linking the photo to the procedure it supports, if any.
For the supporting role, attach the image to the primary claim. A clear pre-op photo on a crown, trauma, or pathology claim does more practical good than billing the photo on its own line, because it helps the procedure you actually expect the plan to pay.
What to get right in your PMS
- Keep photos and X-rays in separate code lanes. D0350 is a camera image. Radiographs are D0210, D0220, D0230, D0330, and the bitewing range. Never bill a photo as a radiograph or the reverse.
- Use D0351 only for true 3D photography. Standard intraoral and extraoral shots are 2D, so they are D0350.
- Expect bundled or non-covered. Verify coverage before billing and set the patient’s expectation that the photo may not be a separate benefit.
- Attach the photo to the claim it supports. The image earns its keep by strengthening the crown, trauma, or pathology claim, not by paying on its own line.
FAQs
- Does insurance pay for D0350?
- Usually not as a standalone benefit. Most plans treat a clinical photo as documentation that supports another procedure rather than a separately reimbursable service, so it bundles into the visit or denies as non-covered. A minority of plans reimburse it in specific situations. Coverage is plan-dependent, so verify before promising the patient anything.
- Is D0350 a type of X-ray?
- No. D0350 is a photograph, captured with a camera, with no radiation. Radiographs are separate codes: bitewings in the D0270 to D0277 range, periapicals D0220 and D0230, panoramic D0330, complete series D0210. If the image is an X-ray, D0350 is the wrong code.
- What is the difference between D0350 and D0351?
- Dimension. D0350 is a 2D photographic image. D0351 is a 3D photographic image. Both are camera-based, not radiographs. The 2D code covers the standard intraoral-camera shots and extraoral facial photos most offices take; the 3D code is for the less common volumetric photographic capture.
- When is it worth billing D0350 even if the plan won't pay?
- When the photo supports a claim you do expect to be paid. A pre-op photo attached to a crown, pathology, or trauma claim strengthens the case even if the photo itself bundles. Some offices report D0350 to document that the image was taken; others simply attach the photo to the primary claim. Either way, store it in the record.
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.