Allie Webb - Jan 19 2020
Increase Hygiene Efficiency by 10%
Using CPT Codes to Generate Revenue Through In-Office Fluoride Treatments
There is a vast amount of clinical research and data to discuss the clinical benefits of fluoride varnish treatments. They can help with a variety of dental issues including hypersensitivity, cavity prevention, enamel leukoplakia, and more. However, fluoride varnish can also have a significant impact on increasing revenue and efficiency within a dental office. In this blog, we will be focusing how to maximize the economic benefits of in-office fluoride varnish treatments. We know that 2020 was a difficult year for many dental offices and hope we can do our part to help you recover in 2021 by implementing procedures and treatments that benefit patients and practitioners alike!
Choosing your fluoride product
First, we need to look at what type of fluoride to apply for maximum hygiene efficiency. Foam, gel, and varnish are all generally accepted forms of in-office varnish. However, foam and gel formulas both require a minimum 4 minute treatment time. Varnish, on the other hand, is a quick brush-on application with a 10 second dry time. When added up throughout a day, this can have a significant impact on overall chair time.
Clinical Tip: The ADA curently only recommends 2.26% fluoride or 5% sodium fluoride varnish for treating children under 6 years of age.
All-in-one unit dose offers efficiency and ease of use
Understanding different CPT codes. Once you have decided what method of fluoride to apply, it is crucial to know how to properly apply CPT codes with different patient needs, ages, and insurance carriers to ensure you are getting the appropriate reimbursement.
A typical unit dose of fluoride varnish costs about $1 - $1.50 and can be reimbursed for between $12-40 using CPT codes. Our NovaBright varnish is currently on sale for $0.78 so you can increase your return even more money by purchasing from Nanova Dental.
There are two available in-office fluoride varnish CPT codes for dental practice:
D1206 -- Topical Application of a Fluoride Varnish
D9910 -- Application of Desensitizing Medicament
Reimburse hypersensitivity treatment. D9910 should be used when the patient’s primary complaint is hypersensitivity.
Reimburse routine varnish application. Most other treatments will fall under the D1206 - Topical Application of Fluoride Varnish code. In 49 states, Medicaid patients under the age of 3.5 years old will automatically be covered for routine fluoride varnish applications under code D1206. Most large commercial healthcare providers such as Aetna, United Healthcare and Anthem reimburse fluoride applications for all children between ages 0-6. This code is also applicable for adults and older children under several plans as long as appropriate clinical documentation is provided.
This link is a great resource that breaks down the reimbursement details for both Medicaid and commercial providers in every state. Please be sure to check with individual providers and with your state for the most up to date information.