2025 Dental Pain ICD-10 Diagnosis Codes

Staying up to date on ICD-10-CM codes is one of the best ways to diagnose, treat, and bill patients. When patients come to your practice experiencing tooth pain, you need to identify the proper dental pain ICD-10 code associated with their condition.

Get a comprehensive look at common codes and how they can help with reimbursement, treatment planning, and healthcare compliance.

Common ICD-10 codes for dental pain

K02 – Dental caries

An oral cavity can cause acute and chronic pain, but the location and severity dictate which code to use. Common ones include:

• K02.3 for arrested dental caries.
• K02.5 for cavities on the pit and fissure surface. Subcodes exist if a cavity is limited to tooth enamel (K02.51), penetrates the dentin (K02.52), or penetrates the pulp (K02.53).
• K02.6 for cavities on a smooth surface. Subcodes follow the same structure as caries on the pit and fissure surface.
• K02.7 for cavities at the dental root.
• K02.9 for dental caries, unspecified.

K04 – Diseases of pulp and periapical tissues

Inflamed dental pulp can cause intense pain. ICD-10-CM diagnosis codes in this block include:

• K04.0 for pulpitis. K04.01 denotes the reversible variety, while K04.02 means irreversible.
• K04.1: Necrosis of the pulp
• K04.2: Pulp degeneration
• K04.3: Abnormal hard tissue formation in pulp
• K04.4: Acute apical periodontitis of pulpal origin
• K04.5: Chronic apical periodontitis
• K04.6: Periapical abscess with sinus
• K04.7: Periapical abscess without sinus
• K04.8: Radicular cyst
• K04.9: Other and unspecified lesions of the oral mucosa

K05 – Gingival and periodontal diseases

The K05 block of dental pain ICD-10 codes refers to discomfort caused by gingival and periodontal diseases. These codes include:

• K05.0 for acute gingivitis. Subcodes are available for plaque-induced (K05.00) and non-plaque-induced types (K05.01).
• K05.1 for chronic gingivitis. You can use K05.10 for the plaque-induced variety and K05.11 for the non-plaque-induced type.
• K05.2 represents aggressive periodontitis with subcodes available for unspecified, localized, and generalized types.
• K05.3 represents chronic periodontitis. A plethora of subcodes exist for this condition, including:
  • K05.30: An unspecified type
  • K05.311: Pain that’s localized and slight
  • K05.312: Pain that’s localized and moderate
  • K05.313: Severe, localized pain
  • K05.319: Chronic periodontitis that’s localized with an unspecified severity
  • K05.32: Generalized chronic periodontitis
  • K05.321: Generalized with slight discomfort
  • K05.322: Generalized with moderate discomfort
  • K05.323: Generalized with severe pain
  • K05.329: Chronic periodontitis that’s generalized with an unspecified severity

K08 – Disorders of teeth and supporting structures

What is the billable, specific code for certain disorders of the teeth and supporting structures? Use K08.8 for other specific disorders, or choose subcodes like K08.81 and K08.82 (primary and secondary occlusal trauma, respectively)

If there’s unspecified pain due to an unknown disorder, code K08.9 works best.

Clinical documentation tips for accurate coding

Ruling out dental pain, ICD-10 codes all depend on how well you document a patient’s condition. Take a detailed health history and ask for a thorough description of the symptoms. Pair the findings from your clinical exam and diagnostic images for clarification.

Implications of accurate ICD-10 coding in dental practices

Accurate medical coding provides a slew of benefits for practitioners, including:

• Greater communication with insurers for efficient billing and reimbursement
• Improved patient care and treatment planning
• Compliance with industry regulations

How Weave supports dentists

Your job is to keep patients healthy and combat tooth pain. Weave’s job is to enhance your operations with tools like:

• Convenient online scheduling
• Automated appointment reminders
• Secure two-way texting platforms
• Insightful practice analytics
• Collaborative team chat features

Choose Weave for patient-centered solutions

Without the appropriate dental pain ICD-10 code, you may not be able to effectively treat patients with various oral diseases or tooth pain. Stay up to date on current guidelines and invest in Weave’s advanced solutions to enhance both patient outcomes and practice operations.

Request a demo today for more information.

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