CDT 2027 starts January 1. Is your front desk ready?
A plain-language checklist for the insurance coordinator, front desk and office manager. Print it, assign each item an owner and check it off before the first January claims go out.
What is changing
The ADA’s Code Maintenance Committee approved 67 changes for CDT 2027: 28 new codes, 33 revisions and six editorial changes. They apply to dates of service on or after January 1, 2027. The ADA highlighted, among others, a new code for placing a healing cap, a new code for removing a screw-retained restoration on an implant, new codes for repairing or removing a fixed splint, and a revision that lets D2390 (resin-based composite crown) be reported on any tooth, not only anterior teeth. Exact code numbers and descriptors are published in the CDT 2027 manual. (ADA News, April 14, 2026)
The checklist
- Confirm your software update. Ask whoever manages your practice software when the CDT 2027 code update will be installed, and who will check it afterward.
- Code by date of service. Use the CDT version in effect on the date the service was performed, not the date the claim is sent. December 2026 work billed in January keeps its 2026 code. Don’t use a 2027 code for a 2026 date of service. (ADA dental code FAQ)
- Send December claims promptly. Fewer claims crossing the year-end means fewer chances to mix up code versions.
- Set fees for new codes your doctors will use. The dentist or office manager decides office fees. In-network fees and policies come from each plan.
- Remember: a new code is not a covered code. In the ADA’s words, “the existence of a procedure code does not mean the procedure is a covered or reimbursed benefit in a dental benefit plan.” Verify the specific code with the patient’s plan before you quote an estimate. (ADA, 6 golden rules of coding)
- Know “denied” from “not billable to the patient.” Plans handled new codes differently last year. For CDT 2026, one regional Delta Dental company denied some new codes (patient responsible) and treated others as not billable to the patient in certain situations. Ask your insurance lead which applies under your contracts. (Northeast Delta Dental, CDT 2026 policies)
- Watch for payer notices in December. Save each major plan’s CDT 2027 notice where the team can find it.
- Handle year-end benefit questions carefully. When a patient wants to “use benefits before they reset,” check the plan’s benefit year (not every plan resets January 1), the remaining maximum, frequency and replacement history, and how the plan dates multi-visit work such as crowns. The dentist decides clinical timing.
- Update templates and shortcuts. Review treatment-plan templates, fee schedule labels and quick-pick lists that include revised codes.
- Check January EOBs closely. For the first claims with new or revised codes, look for denials, $0 lines or returned claims, and share what you learn with the team.
Educational checklist, not coding or legal advice. The CDT Code is published by the American Dental Association; use the CDT 2027 manual, your software vendor’s update and your payer contracts for actual coding and billing. Sources checked November 4, 2026.
Turn the checklist into a training session.
The Treatment Coordinator course now includes a code-year section with a fictional “December crown” case: a patient wants treatment before their benefits reset. Your learner writes the response, the items to verify and the note, then compares it with the explained answer.
One-time purchase · 30-day satisfaction guarantee · Code LAUNCH20 takes 20% off through December 2, 2026.