Dental Implant Removal Code

The short answer: D6100 is the CDT code for implant removal

D6100 is the ADA/CDT code for the surgical removal of a dental implant. In practical terms, that means removal of the implant fixture—the part placed into the bone.

If the claim goes through dental insurance, D6100 is the code to check first for a true implant explantation. The dental code for explanting a dental implant is not the same as the medical code used for removing some types of implanted hardware.

D6100 also calls for a description. The claim should explain what was removed and why, along with enough clinical detail to show that the procedure involved surgical removal of the implant itself.

That last point matters. Removing a crown, prosthesis, screw, or abutment is not automatically the same as removing the implant fixture. Before choosing D6100, identify the exact part that came out.

CPT 20670 vs. 20680: when implant removal goes through medical billing instead

The CDT code set is used for dental billing. A medical claim may use a CPT code instead.

The two medical codes commonly connected with implant removal are:

• CPT 20670 — removal of a superficial implant
• CPT 20680 — removal of a deep implant

The superficial-versus-deep split is the key difference between these two CPT choices. It applies when the removal is billed through medical insurance rather than submitted as a dental procedure.

So the first coding question is not simply, “Which implant removal code do I use?” Ask:

1. Is this being billed to a dental or medical payer?
2. Is the procedure the removal of the implant fixture?
3. If it is a medical claim, is the implant considered superficial or deep under the payer’s coding rules?

For dental billing, start with D6100. For medical billing, review CPT 20670 and CPT 20680 based on the implant’s depth and the payer’s requirements.

Don’t place both CDT and CPT codes on a claim just because both appear in a code search. They belong to different code systems and may apply to different billing routes.

Where D6100 sits in the D6000–D6199 implant services range

D6100 is part of the D6000–D6199 section of the CDT code set. This is the implant services range.

That placement helps explain why a search for “implant removal code” brings up several nearby codes. The range covers more than removal. It also includes implant placement, abutments, implant-supported procedures, and other implant-related services.

The range includes:

• D6010 for surgical placement of the implant body
• D6056 and D6057 for abutments
• D6060 through D6067 for implant-supported procedures
• D6100 for surgical removal of an implant
• D6101 through D6103, which are also listed in the implant services range

The code family gives you useful context, but nearby numbers do not mean the procedures are interchangeable. D6100 starts with a specific event: surgical removal of the implant.

Placement, abutments, and implant-supported codes: D6010, D6056/D6057, D6060–D6067

A simple way to separate the codes is to think about the stage of treatment.

D6010 applies to placing the implant body. This is the fixture that goes into the bone. D6100 applies when that implant body later needs to be surgically removed.

D6056 and D6057 apply to abutments. An abutment connects the implant to the restoration. It sits above or connects with the fixture, but it is a different component.

D6060 through D6067 cover implant-supported procedures. These codes relate to restorations or procedures supported by implants rather than to the basic surgical removal of the fixture.

This distinction prevents a common mistake: choosing a code from the right implant section but for the wrong part of the treatment.

For example, a claim involving an implant-supported crown may belong in the D6060–D6067 group. A claim involving removal of the fixture itself points back to D6100. The fact that both services involve the same patient and implant does not make them the same coded procedure.

Removing the crown or abutment versus removing the implant fixture itself

“Implant removal” can mean several different things in everyday office language. Coding requires more precision.

An implant restoration may include:

• A crown or other prosthesis
• A retaining screw
• An abutment
• The implant fixture placed in bone

If the crown is removed, that does not by itself support D6100. If the abutment is removed, that also does not automatically support D6100. The fixture must be the part surgically removed for D6100 to fit the basic procedure described by the code.

For a dental code for removal of an implant abutment, do not assume D6100 is correct. The available facts here identify D6056 and D6057 as abutment codes, but they do not establish a separate current CDT code or descriptor for every type of abutment removal.

Use the current CDT manual and the payer’s policy to verify the proper code for the actual abutment procedure. The operative note should make clear whether the clinician removed:

• Only the restoration
• The abutment
• A screw
• The implant fixture
• More than one component

That detail is what separates a fixture-removal claim from a prosthetic or component-removal claim.

D6193 and the retorque problem: when the screw is replaced instead of the implant removed

A loose implant screw can create a coding trap.

If the screw cannot be retorqued and the implant needs to be replaced, the relevant code identified in the implant code family is D6193. This situation is different from simply removing an implant fixture.

The key question is what happened during treatment:

• Was the existing implant surgically removed?
• Was the problem limited to a screw?
• Was the implant replaced because the screw could not be retorqued?
• Was an abutment or restoration also removed?

D6100 describes surgical removal of an implant. D6193 addresses the situation where the implant needs to be replaced after the screw cannot be retorqued. Those facts should appear in the clinical record, because a payer reviewing the claim needs to see why the selected code matches the work performed.

Don’t default to D6100 just because the word “removed” appears in the treatment note. A screw or prosthetic component may have been removed while the fixture stayed in place.

Bone graft after implant removal: what to look up and what to confirm

A bone graft performed after implant removal is a separate service from removing the implant.

That means the ADA code for bone graft after implant removal should not be assumed to be D6100. D6100 identifies the surgical removal of the implant. It does not, by itself, describe the graft.

For the graft claim, confirm:

• The exact graft procedure performed
• The site and clinical reason for the graft
• Whether the graft was completed during the same visit as removal
• The current CDT descriptor that matches the graft
• Whether the payer has special rules for reporting the graft with implant removal

The procedure note should separate the two services. It should state that the implant fixture was removed and describe the graft work independently. If the payer requires a narrative, include the reason for the graft and how it relates to the removal without treating the two procedures as one code.

The research available for this lookup does not establish one universal graft code to use after every implant removal. Check the current CDT code set rather than attaching a guessed code to D6100.

What the D6100 descriptor actually requires you to document

D6100 is more than a short label in a fee schedule. One reference to the 2018 ADA wording notes that this is a code that asks for a description.

That means the claim should not rely on the code number alone. The narrative should support the reason D6100 was selected.

At a minimum, make the record clear about:

• Which implant was removed
• The location of the implant
• Whether the fixture itself was surgically removed
• The reason for removal
• Whether other parts, such as the crown, abutment, or screw, were also removed
• Any related procedure performed during the visit

The exact detail required can depend on the payer, but the basic goal is straightforward: show that D6100 describes the procedure that actually took place.

A note that only says “implant removed” may leave too much unanswered. A clearer note identifies the fixture and separates it from the restoration and abutment.

Codes that get confused with D6100: D6190, D5875, and how to verify them

What about D6190?

D6190 often appears in searches related to implant coding, but the available material for this lookup does not define its current descriptor. Do not infer its meaning from the code number or assume it is another implant-removal code.

Verify D6190 in the current CDT manual before assigning it. Check the full descriptor, any included or excluded services, and the payer’s policy.

What about D5875?

D5875 is another code people search alongside implant removal. It sits outside the D6000–D6199 implant services range covered here, and the available information does not establish its descriptor.

That makes it especially risky to guess. Confirm D5875 in the current CDT code set instead of treating it as a substitute for D6100.

The safe rule for both codes is simple: if the procedure is surgical removal of the implant fixture, evaluate D6100 first. If the procedure involves a different component or service, verify the exact current code rather than choosing a nearby number.

Fees and reimbursement: why the D6100 fee you find online rarely matches what a payer allows

A listed D6100 fee is not automatically the amount an insurer will allow.

Fee information can reflect different things, including a practice’s charge, a fee schedule amount, or a payer’s allowed amount. Those figures may not match. The code itself also does not settle questions about coverage, documentation, frequency limits, or whether the payer treats the procedure as dental or medical.

For a D6100 claim, check:

• The practice’s current charge
• The payer’s fee schedule or allowed amount
• Whether the patient’s plan covers implant removal
• Whether a narrative or records are required
• Whether the claim should go to dental or medical insurance
• Whether related services, such as a graft or component removal, need separate coding

The implant removal CDT code is D6100 when the service is surgical removal of the dental implant fixture. If the case is billed medically, review CPT 20670 for superficial removal and CPT 20680 for deep removal.

Before the claim goes out, match the selected code against the current-year CDT descriptor and the payer’s own policy. Then check the related codes for the actual procedure—especially abutment, screw, restoration, and bone-graft services—instead of defaulting to D6100 when the fixture itself was not removed.