The short version
# D2751 Dental Code: Porcelain Fused to Predominantly Base Metal Crown
D2751 reports a single crown on a natural tooth with porcelain fused to a predominantly base-metal substructure. It can look like other tooth-colored crowns, so the lab alloy record decides the code. Plans also use base-metal crowns as alternate benefits for higher-cost materials. The office must keep the delivered treatment separate from the benefit calculation.
- Bill D2751 when the final natural-tooth crown has porcelain fused to a predominantly base-metal coping.
- Use D2740 for porcelain or ceramic without a metal coping and D2750 for porcelain fused to high-noble metal.
- The ADA glossary places predominantly base alloys below 25% noble-metal content from gold and platinum-group metals.
- Keep the lab prescription and invoice because “PFM” alone doesn't identify the alloy tier.
- A 2026 Cigna Arizona plan uses D2751 as the alternate benefit for certain higher-cost tooth-colored crowns and applies a 60-month replacement period.
- In a worked claim, a $1,400 office fee becomes a $1,000 allowable. The plan pays $500 at 50%, the patient owes $500, and the office adjusts $400.
What is D2751?
D2751 is a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown made with a predominantly base-metal alloy. It restores one natural tooth.
| Fact | D2751 |
|---|---|
| CDT category | Indirect restorative crown |
| Unit | One natural tooth |
| Veneer | Porcelain |
| Coping | Predominantly base-metal alloy |
| Public fee references | Oregon Medicaid: $627.95; DC Medicaid: $320 in 2025 |
When do you bill D2751?
Use D2751 after delivery of the matching base-metal PFM crown.
- Record structural loss, decay, fracture, or other full-coverage reason.
- Match the lab record to a predominantly base-metal coping.
- Record preparation, provisional, and final seat dates.
- Note cementation and occlusion.
D2751 vs D2740 and D2750
The final construction and alloy family select the code.
| D2740 | D2751 | D2750 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Construction | Porcelain or ceramic | Porcelain fused to base metal | Porcelain fused to high-noble metal |
| Metal coping | No | Yes | Yes |
| Key proof | Lab material | Lab alloy category | Lab alloy category |
| Common EOB role | May be downgraded | May be alternate benefit | May be reduced to lower metal tier |
What does insurance actually do with D2751?
A 2026 Cigna Arizona plan uses D2751 to calculate the alternate benefit for D2740 on anterior teeth and bicuspids. That makes D2751 visible on an EOB even when the office placed and reported another material. The same plan uses a 60-month crown replacement limit.
- Office fee: $1,400
- Contracted allowable: $1,000
- Contractual adjustment: $400
- Plan payment at 50%: $500
- Patient balance: $500
Why does D2751 get denied?
- The lab record doesn't establish a predominantly base-metal coping.
- The crown history doesn't clear the replacement limit.
- The record doesn't support full coverage or tooth prognosis.
What documentation gets D2751 paid?
- Don't omit the tooth or full-coverage reason.
- Don't file without a lab slip naming the alloy category.
- Don't omit the prior crown date or replacement reason.
- Save preparation and final cementation dates.
- Document D2950 only when a distinct retention buildup was performed.
Common questions about D2751
Is D2751 any PFM crown?
No. D2751 reports a porcelain-fused-to-metal crown with a predominantly base-metal substructure. Confirm the lab record identifies that alloy class and that the chart, claim, and seated restoration match. Don't select D2751 merely because an EOB uses it as an alternate benefit.
Why does D2751 appear on a D2740 EOB?
Some plans use it as a lower-cost alternate benefit. The claim should still show D2740 when an all-ceramic crown was delivered. The payer's comparison line explains its payment calculation; it doesn't authorize the office to change the submitted procedure or the clinical record.
How often can D2751 be replaced?
The cited Cigna plan uses 60 consecutive months per tooth. Other plans can use a different interval, so verify the member's history and exception terms. Record the prior crown's date, condition, and replacement reason before estimating the patient's replacement benefit.
Which service date should be reported?
Use the plan's rule. Crown contracts can define completion by the final seat or cementation date, while another policy may publish a different rule. Keep preparation and delivery dates in the chart, verify the member document, and don't move the service date to avoid a frequency limit.
Make the lab alloy part of the claim
Before filing, match the crown, base-metal alloy record, delivery date, and prior-crown history.
Sources
- ADA, materials for indirect restorations
- ADA, Glossary of Dental Terms
- Delta Dental, clinical criteria for crowns
- Cigna, 2026 Arizona crown limitations
- Delta Dental, Texas alternate-benefit terms
- ADA, prosthodontic payment-date policy
- Delta Dental of Arizona, transition-of-care service dates
- Oregon Medicaid, June 2025 fee schedule
- Washington, DC Medicaid fee schedule, May 17, 2025
CDT codes and nomenclature are copyright © American Dental Association. This guide explains the code in plain language; the current CDT manual is the authoritative source.
