D5512 is the CDT code for repairing a broken or cracked base on a complete upper denture, restoring the existing acrylic and palate coverage instead of remaking the prosthesis.
The claim risk here is almost entirely clerical. D5512 is the maxillary half of a pair whose numbering runs opposite to the fabrication codes (upper takes the higher final digit in repairs, the lower digit in fabrication), and its predecessor D5510 has been rejectable since 2018 yet still lives in old fee schedules. Get those two things right and the clinical claim itself is rarely contested.
What D5512 covers
D5512 reports the repair of a fractured or cracked base on a complete maxillary (upper) denture. The signature case is the midline palatal split: the palate flexes over an unevenly resorbed ridge until a hairline crack propagates through, or the denture hits the floor. The repair rejoins the base, processes fresh acrylic into the defect, and returns the denture at its original contour, with the fit check included in the fee.
It does not cover:
- The same repair on a lower complete denture. That’s D5511, and note the pair runs mandibular-first, unlike the fabrication codes.
- Replacing a missing or broken denture tooth. That’s D5520, per tooth.
- Repairs to an upper partial denture. A resin partial base is D5612; a cast framework is D5622.
- A reline of the upper denture. Chairside is D5730; lab (indirect) is D5750.
- A rebase (full base replacement, teeth kept). That’s D5710 for the complete upper.
- A new upper denture, conventional D5110 or immediate D5130.
The arch-digit inversion
The fabrication codes taught every biller that the upper arch takes the lower final digit: D5110 upper, D5120 lower. The 2018 repair split inverted that: D5511 is the lower, D5512 is the upper, and the resin partial-base repairs D5611/D5612 follow the same mandibular-first order. Meanwhile D5670/D5671 (replacing all teeth and acrylic on a cast framework) flip back to maxillary-first. There is no consistent rule across the D56xx block, which is exactly why arch words beat digit patterns: read “maxillary” in the descriptor, then pick the code.
An inverted claim doesn’t always reject cleanly. If the carrier has prosthetic history for both arches, a wrong-arch repair can pay against the wrong denture and poison the frequency record for a future legitimate repair. That cleanup costs more than the original claim was worth.
When to bill D5512, and when the repair is the wrong plan
Bill D5512 when the upper base is fractured but the denture is worth saving: teeth intact, acrylic sound away from the fracture, fit still acceptable. Skip to a different conversation when:
- The base no longer fits. A fracture caused by chronic rocking over a resorbed ridge will recur after repair. The fit problem is a reline (D5730 or D5750) or a rebase, and sometimes the fracture and the reline both need doing.
- This is the second or third fracture. Serial repairs signal a fatigued base. Plans notice, and some deny further repairs in favor of replacement benefits.
- The denture is inside its replacement window and failing structurally. Document the failure now; it becomes the clinical-necessity narrative if a replacement claim needs to beat the frequency limit later.
CDT 2026 also added duplicate-denture codes, D5877 (upper) and D5878 (lower), for fabricating a backup copy of an existing complete denture. A patient who fractures a denture repeatedly is the textbook candidate, though coverage is plan-dependent and many contracts treat duplication as non-covered.
Top reasons D5512 gets denied
- Deleted predecessor submitted. D5510 rejects as invalid; it has been gone since 2018.
- Arch mismatch. D5511 billed for the upper (or the arch indicator contradicting the code), usually the digit-pattern habit described above.
- Repair frequency. A second repair on the same denture inside the plan’s window (commonly 12 months, but plan-dependent) pends or denies.
- Repair-versus-replacement judgment. The carrier reads a serial-repair history and denies in favor of replacement benefits. A narrative on why this repair is definitive helps.
- Wrong prosthesis type. D5512 on an upper partial. The partial repair codes (D5612 resin base, D5622 framework) apply, and the mismatch surfaces when the carrier sees remaining teeth on the arch.
Documentation that supports the claim
- Arch in words in the chart note, matching the claim’s arch designation.
- Nature and location of the fracture (midline palatal crack, fractured flange, dropped denture) and the repair performed.
- The denture’s delivery date if known; it feeds repair-frequency and replacement-clock math.
- Photos of the fracture when records are requested.
- Any co-performed work on its own line: a tooth replaced during the same repair is a separate D5520 entry, not folded into the D5512 fee.
What to get right in your PMS
- Purge D5510 from every template. Fee schedules migrated forward since 2017 still carry it, and it fails on submission every time.
- Label the pair by arch words, not by digit. “D5511: LOWER base repair, D5512: UPPER base repair” in the procedure description saves the inversion error.
- Track repairs per prosthesis. Frequency limits attach to the denture; a repair history field on the appliance record beats scanning the ledger.
- Keep repair and reline codes in separate quick-pick groups. The most expensive miscodes here are cross-category, not cross-arch.
FAQs
- What's the dental code to repair a broken upper denture?
- D5512 for a cracked or fractured base on a complete upper denture. If a denture tooth broke off or went missing, that's D5520, billed per tooth, and both can appear on the same claim when both repairs happened. The lower-arch base repair is D5511. Upper partial dentures repair under different codes: D5612 for a resin base, D5622 for a cast framework.
- Why did my D5510 claim reject?
- D5510 was deleted from the CDT effective January 1, 2018 and split into D5511 (mandibular) and D5512 (maxillary). Carriers reject it as an invalid code. Resubmit with D5512 for an upper denture or D5511 for a lower, and purge D5510 from any PMS template that auto-filled it.
- Does D5512 cover a midline crack in the palate?
- Yes. A midline palatal fracture is the classic D5512 case. Upper dentures split down the middle when the ridge resorbs unevenly and the palate flexes, or after a drop. The repair bonds the halves and processes new acrylic into the fracture line. If the base keeps refracturing, that pattern supports a replacement or rebase conversation rather than a third repair.
- How many times will a plan pay to repair the same denture?
- Most plans limit repairs. A common structure is one repair per denture per 12 months, and some cap total repair spending against a percentage of the replacement allowance, but the specific limit is plan-dependent. Repeated fractures also invite the carrier to redirect benefits toward a replacement denture, so track repair history on the prosthesis, not just the patient.
- Is a repair the same as a reline?
- No. D5512 mends broken acrylic; the fit surface stays what it was. A reline replaces the tissue-contacting surface because the denture no longer seats: D5730 chairside or D5750 lab for a complete upper. Billing a reline as a repair, or vice versa, misstates the procedure and gets reprocessed when the carrier pulls the chart note.
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.