Does insurance cover putting a crown back on?
Usually yes, as a basic service at 70 to 80% on most plans, unless the crown was placed recently, in which case many payers treat the reglue as part of the original crown fee. Putting a crown back on (code D2920) means cleaning the loose crown and the tooth and cementing the same crown back in place, with no new crown made.
70 to 80%
Basic, unless the crown is new
6 to 12 months
The common honeymoon window. If your office seated the crown inside it, most plans treat the reglue as part of the original fee and pay nothing.
Not your crown
A crown placed by another office is the clean case. The honeymoon rule does not apply, and most plans pay D2920 as a basic service.
Same crown only
This code is for cementing the crown that came off. If the crown cracked or the tooth broke under it, that is a new crown, not a reglue.
Walk-in check
Crowns fall off at dinner and the patient calls at 8am. The check runs in under a second, so you can quote the reglue while they are on the phone.
What would a real check show for this patient's D2920?
Pick a sample plan and type your fee. This is the visibility a real-time check gives the desk for every actual patient, in under a second.
Eligibility readout · D2920
Sample- Coverage
- Active, basic covered at 80%
- Frequency
- Crown seated by another office, no limit
- Patient share
- Type your fee to see it
Estimate from a sample plan. A real check reads the actual plan in under a second.
When D2920 is the right code
- The existing crown came off in one piece
- Tooth under it is still sound enough to hold it
- Same crown goes back on, no lab work
- Placed by another office or past the honeymoon window
Documentation payers expect
A note on the date and cause of the loss, the original seat date if known, and the tooth number. Some plans ask who placed the crown.
Why crown reglues get denied
What happens after the crown goes back on
A reglued crown is a warning, not a fix. Crowns come off because the cement failed, the tooth under it decayed, or the core gave way, and two of those three often end in a new crown. That means D2950 or D2954 plus D2740 or D2750 on the same tooth, at around 50%, against whatever is left of the annual maximum. Knowing that number today, while the patient is in the chair for a quick reglue, is how the next treatment plan gets accepted instead of argued.
D2920, quick answers
Does insurance pay to put a crown back on?
Most plans do, as a basic service at 70 to 80%, unless the crown was placed recently by the same office.
What is the honeymoon window?
Many plans treat a reglue within 6 to 12 months of the original seat as part of the crown fee. Inside that window, D2920 pays nothing.
Does it matter who placed the crown?
Yes. A crown from another office does not carry the honeymoon rule, so the reglue usually pays as a normal basic service.
What if the crown will not go back on?
Then the visit is no longer D2920. A broken tooth or cracked crown becomes a build-up (D2950) or a new crown (D2740), which are major and pay differently.
Can the desk quote a reglue over the phone?
Yes, when the plan check runs first. In under a second it shows the basic percentage and the deductible, so the quote is ready before the patient hangs up.
More questions? Schedule 15 minutes with us and bring your toughest plan.
The crown fell off. Quote the reglue before they hang up.
First month free, then $2.50 a check. No seat fees, no contract.
Book 15 minutes, demo or onboarding
Pick a time, then tell us on the form whether it is a demo or an onboarding call.
CDT is maintained by the American Dental Association. This page is Valian's own plain-English summary for front-desk teams, not official CDT descriptor text, and is not billing or clinical advice. Coverage patterns are common plan behaviors; every plan differs. Verify benefits before treatment.