3 things to consider about dental codes D4341 and D4342

While coaching dental hygiene teams across the country, one of the biggest opportunities we see is with the use of D4342. Here are a few tips for using this code in your practice, and how it relates to D4341.

1. Set your fee for D4342 at 75% of the full quad fee. It's not unusual to see practices set their D4342 fee at 40-50% of the D4341 fee.

2. Remember that whether you do two quads of D4341 or two quads of D4342, you will use the same supplies to set up and disinfect your operatory, the same amount of gauze, the same number of cassettes and, often, similar anesthetic. There are some costs of providing treatment that do not change from one procedure to another.

Want to see what dental practice around the country are charging for D4341? Check out our 2014 fee survey.

3. When setting fees for periodontal therapy, talk openly with your team about how those fees relate to your treatment philosophy. At Inspired Hygiene, we work with our clients to understand the true value of the treatment. It's important that the entire team feels the value of the service provided far outweighs the cost.

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If treating active periodontal infection with these two codes reduces your patients' risk for cardiovascular disease or helps them better manage their diabetes, that's worth your treatment fee many times over. In fact, an extensive study revealed that simple perio therapy reduced medical costs of diabetics by 40%, a savings of nearly $3000 per year!