D5512 is the CDT code for repairing a cracked or broken base on a complete upper denture so the patient keeps the existing denture.
- When to use: The acrylic base of a full upper denture is fractured, most often a midline palatal crack, while the teeth and the fit are still sound.
- When not to use: The lower base repair is D5511, a broken denture tooth is D5520, a loose fit needing a reline is D5730 or D5750, and upper partial base repairs are D5612.
- Billing note: Claims with retired D5510 reject, and the repair pair numbers lower first, so choose D5512 by the word upper rather than by the digit pattern.
What D5512 covers
D5512 reports the repair of a fractured or cracked base on a complete maxillary (upper) denture. The typical case is a midline palatal split: the palate flexes over an unevenly resorbed ridge until a hairline crack runs through, or the denture is dropped. The repair rejoins the base, processes fresh acrylic into the defect, and returns the denture at its original contour. The fit check is included in the fee.
It does not cover:
- The same repair on a lower complete denture. That’s D5511.
- 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
In the fabrication codes, the upper arch takes the lower final digit: D5110 upper, D5120 lower. The 2018 repair split reversed that. D5511 is the lower, D5512 is the upper, and the resin partial-base repairs D5611/D5612 follow the same mandibular-first order. D5670/D5671 (replacing all teeth and acrylic on a cast framework) go back to maxillary-first. There is no consistent rule across the D56xx block, so read “maxillary” in the descriptor, then pick the code.
An inverted claim doesn’t always reject. If the carrier has prosthetic history for both arches, a wrong-arch repair can pay against the wrong denture and corrupt 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. Consider a different plan when:
- The base no longer fits. A fracture caused by chronic rocking over a resorbed ridge will recur after repair. The fit problem needs a reline (D5730 or D5750) or a rebase, and sometimes both the fracture repair and the reline are needed.
- 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 later needs to overcome the frequency limit.
CDT 2026 also added duplicate-denture codes, D5877 (upper) and D5878 (lower), for making a backup copy of an existing complete denture. A patient who fractures a denture repeatedly is the typical 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 an arch indicator that contradicts the code, usually from the digit-pattern habit.
- 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 billed 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
- The arch in words in the chart note, matching the claim’s arch designation.
- The 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 the repair-frequency and replacement-clock math.
- Photos of the fracture when records are requested.
- Any other work on its own line. A tooth replaced during the same repair is a separate D5520 entry, not part of the D5512 fee.
What to get right in your PMS
- Remove D5510 from every template. Fee schedules carried forward since 2017 may still include it, and it fails on every submission.
- Label the pair by arch, not by digit. “D5511: LOWER base repair” and “D5512: UPPER base repair” in the procedure description prevents the inversion error.
- Track repairs per prosthesis. Frequency limits attach to the denture, so 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 across categories, not across arches.
FAQs
- What's the dental code to repair a broken upper denture?
- D5512, for a cracked or fractured base on a complete upper denture. A denture tooth that broke off or went missing is 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 use different repair 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), so carriers reject it as an invalid code. Resubmit with D5512 for an upper denture or D5511 for a lower, and remove 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 rather than a third repair.
- How many times will a plan pay to repair the same denture?
- It depends on the plan, but most limit repairs. A common structure is one repair per denture per 12 months, and some cap total repair spending at a percentage of the replacement allowance. 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 as 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 the reverse, 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.