D5511 is the CDT code for repairing a cracked or broken base on a complete lower denture so the patient keeps the existing denture.
- When to use: The acrylic base of a full lower denture is fractured or cracked, such as a midline split after a drop, and the denture is worth saving.
- When not to use: The upper base repair is D5512, a broken denture tooth is D5520, a loose fit needing a reline is D5731, and partial base repairs are D5611.
- Billing note: Claims with retired D5510 reject, and the repair pair numbers lower first, so choose D5511 by the word lower, not the digit pattern of D5110 and D5120.
What D5511 covers
D5511 reports the repair of a broken base on a complete mandibular (lower) denture: a crack, a midline fracture, or a fractured section of the pink acrylic that seats on the lower ridge. The repair mends the existing base by bonding the fragments, processing new acrylic into the fracture line, and restoring the original contour, so the patient keeps the denture they have. The fee covers the repair and the fit check at redelivery.
Lower complete dentures fracture more often than uppers. The mandibular base is a narrow horseshoe with no palate to stiffen it, it flexes over a resorbing ridge, and it takes the impact when a denture slips out over a sink. That makes D5511 the higher-volume code of the pair.
It does not cover:
- The same base repair on an upper complete denture. That’s D5512.
- Replacing a missing or broken denture tooth. That’s D5520, per tooth.
- A partial-denture base repair. The resin-base partial repairs are D5611 (lower) and D5612 (upper), and cast-framework repairs are D5621 (lower) and D5622 (upper).
- A reline or a rebase, which address fit or a worn-out base rather than a fracture (see below).
- A new lower denture. That’s D5120 conventional or D5140 immediate.
D5510 was deleted in 2018
On January 1, 2018, the ADA deleted D5510 (repair broken complete denture base) and split it by arch: D5511 mandibular, D5512 maxillary. The same change split the resin partial-base repair D5610 into D5611/D5612. Every carrier’s claim system now rejects the retired codes outright, yet they persist in old PMS fee schedules, printed office cheat sheets, and older coding articles that still rank in search.
If a denture-repair claim rejects as an invalid or unrecognized procedure code, check first whether a legacy template substituted D5510.
Repair, reline, and rebase are three different procedures
Carriers see these confused constantly, and each pays differently:
- Repair (D5511) fixes a fracture or crack in the base. The fit surface doesn’t change beyond restoring the original contour.
- Reline replaces the tissue-contacting surface because the ridge resorbed and the denture no longer seats. Chairside on the lower is D5731; the lab (indirect) version is D5751. A reline corrects fit; it doesn’t repair damage.
- Rebase (D5711 for the lower) replaces the entire base while keeping the existing teeth. It is the answer when the acrylic is degraded throughout, not cracked in one place.
The chart note determines which one you can defend. “Repaired midline fracture” supports D5511. “Denture loose, tissue surface no longer adapts” supports a reline, and billing that as a repair misstates the procedure in a way records review will catch.
Top reasons D5511 gets denied
- Retired code submitted. D5510 instead of D5511/D5512 rejects automatically. Resubmit with the correct arch-specific code.
- Wrong arch. D5512 billed for a lower denture, or an arch indicator that contradicts the code. Carriers cross-check against the patient’s prosthetic history.
- Repair frequency exceeded. Many plans cap repairs per denture per 12 months, so a second fracture inside the window pends or denies. The cap and its length are plan-dependent.
- Repair near the replacement decision. After repeated repairs, some plans deny further repairs and direct the benefit toward replacement. A narrative on the denture’s age and condition helps either way.
- Prosthesis mismatch. D5511 submitted for a partial denture. If the carrier has a partial or natural teeth on file for that arch, the complete-denture repair code rejects.
Documentation that supports the claim
- The arch, stated in words in the note (“complete mandibular denture”) and matching the claim’s arch designation.
- What broke and how: midline fracture, dropped denture, fractured flange. The cause matters when the plan asks whether the damage is a repair or a replacement case.
- The repair performed and materials used.
- The denture’s original delivery date if known. It feeds both the repair-frequency check and any replacement-clock conversation.
- Intraoral or bench photos of the fracture when the plan requests records.
Example case
A patient drops a four-year-old lower complete denture on a tile floor and it snaps at the midline. Both halves are intact, the teeth are undamaged, and the acrylic is otherwise sound, so the office repairs the base rather than remaking the denture.
Billing steps:
- Verify repair coverage and the plan’s repair-frequency rule for this denture.
- Chart the fracture (with a photo if convenient), the repair, and the arch in words.
- Submit D5511 with the mandibular arch designation on the repair date.
- If a denture tooth also broke loose in the fall, add D5520 per tooth as a separate line.
- Post the payment. If the plan’s repair cap was already used this year, discuss the balance with the patient with the delivery-date math in hand.
FAQs
- What is the dental code for a denture repair?
- It depends on what broke and on which prosthesis. A cracked base on a complete (full) denture is D5511 for the lower arch and D5512 for the upper. A missing or broken tooth on a complete denture is D5520, billed per tooth. Partial dentures have their own repair series: D5611/D5612 for a resin base, D5621/D5622 for a cast framework, D5630 for clasps, and D5640 for broken teeth. There is no single all-purpose denture repair code.
- Is D5510 still a valid code?
- No. D5510 (repair broken complete denture base) was deleted effective January 1, 2018 and split by arch into D5511 (mandibular) and D5512 (maxillary). A claim with D5510 rejects as an invalid procedure code. If a PMS fee schedule or repair template still carries D5510, replace it with the arch-specific pair.
- What's the difference between D5511 and D5512?
- The arch. D5511 repairs the broken base of a complete lower (mandibular) denture; D5512 is the same repair on the upper (maxillary). The repair codes run mandibular-first, the opposite of the fabrication codes, where D5110 is the upper and D5120 is the lower. Picking by habit instead of by arch is the most common mix-up in this pair.
- Can I bill D5511 and D5520 together?
- Yes, when both repairs happened: a fractured lower base repaired (D5511) and a broken tooth replaced on the same denture (D5520, per tooth). They describe different work and most carriers adjudicate them separately, though whether both pay on the same date is plan-dependent. Document each repair separately in the chart note.
- Will insurance cover a denture repair, or does it count against the replacement clock?
- Most plans that cover dentures also cover repairs, typically with a repair-frequency limit (for example, one repair per denture per 12 months) rather than the 5-to-7-year replacement clock. A repair does not usually reset or use up the replacement frequency, but both the repair limit and its interaction with a future replacement are plan-dependent, so verify before promising the patient anything.
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.