2027 Code Changes: What Dental Offices Must Update Now

The CDT 2027 code changes feature 28 additions, 33 revisions, and six editorial updates as of January 1, 2027. With these changes, dental offices must revisit their selection, documentation, and billing of affected procedures before the new year.

It should be more than installing a software update; a review should take place. The ADA states that practice management software might not include all of the complete code descriptions. If omitted, it is possible that the staff may miss instructions that impact the code that will be assigned for the treatment delivered.

Those gaps can cause claims to be corrected, additional calls from extra payers, and added workload for the busy front desk. Getting ready now ensures your team has time to review templates, review fees, and verify payer requirements before the appointments in January.

This guide reveals what you need to pay attention to, what your office needs to verify, and how you can get ready for your billing process in 2027. 

What Is CDT 2027?

Current Dental Terminology (CDT) 2027 is the 2027 edition of the American Dental Association’s (ADA) Current Dental Terminology. It offers codes and descriptions that dental teams use to document and report treatment. This version is for services connected to January 1 – December 31, 2027.

Your team should make sure to verify the date of service for the correct edition. In other words, if you finish your treatment in December, 2026, it will be based on the 2026 code version, regardless of when your office submits the claim in 2027.

Choosing the right code is one aspect of claim preparation. Your team should also review the patient’s insurance policy to ensure that coverage will be provided for dental services. Once you’re confident you’ve established that distinction, you’ll need to find out what changes impact the procedures your office offers. 

Which CDT 2027 Code Changes Affect Your Dental Office?

The changes that are most important are those which are related to procedures that your team conducts, or plans to conduct in 2027. Get a good overview of those services by comparing them with the revised code entries, which include revised familiar codes.

The importance of this is that it will allow a different description to be entered into the code number without changing the number. The D2390 revision, for instance, adds direct resin-based composite reporting for posterior teeth in addition to anterior teeth. Any software labels or templates that still refer to your software as anterior should be reviewed by your team. 

Review These Selected Updates

Below is a table that links some of the CDT 2027 updates to practical office checks. Use it to determine affected workflows and then verify all of the entries in the official manual. 

Sources: ADA News, AAO’s orthodontic update, and Cigna’s published 2027 code summary. These are selected changes, not the complete code set.

Check Revised Codes Alongside New Additions

Older settings would not be reviewed if you were only looking at the new CDT codes 2027 introduced. The D9910 change is a case in point for why your team should also consider familiarity of procedures entered and charged.

For instance, if your current template incorporates 1 charge per visit, look at how it will manage the new “per tooth” reporting basis. Verify with the software vendor and review the applicable software vendor’s guidance.

After your list of affected procedures has been identified, make this list into one or more updates to your software, templates, and staff training. 

What Must Your Dental Software and Staff Workflows Update?

Your office needs to update all location(s) where personnel make/descibe/price/supmit any affected procedure. When performing those steps, they are likely to rely on records kept within your practice management software, so you’ll want to begin with that and then proceed through your everyday tools.

As part of that review, look at software descriptions and make sure that they match the full code entries. The ADA notes that software might not include all the wording, making it impossible for staff to pick the right code. 

Check Templates, Shortcuts, and Fees

Use your affected-procedure list to find where each code appears in your office setup. That includes:

• Treatment plan templates and saved procedure selections.
• Clinical note prompts and claim attachment reminders.
• Office fees and PPO fee schedules.
• Patient estimate descriptions.
• Claim scrubbing rules and staff coding references.

Each setting requires testing, as a new code list could leave any custom templates in place. A Major List (such as receiving updates via Alert Notices) may display the new checklist, whereas a Template with Checklist (saved via a checklist) may return to an earlier one.

The mismatch could be passed to the claim if staff are using that template. It can be captured through having confirmation of the documented treatment before the billing lead performs the selected code and claim preview from the clinician. 

Test the Updated Workflow Before January

After the individual settings are explored, experiment with combinations of settings. Follow an Affected Procedure from Selection to Charges, Tooth Information, Attachment, Claim Output (using a Vendor Approved Process)

As you review that output, verify that the software correctly processes previous dates of service. This will assist your team to plan for your December treatment billings, which may not be available until January.

The next step is to determine if the clearinghouse is ready to accept the new codes. Verify its instructions through published guidance or assistance, and then document what is still unclear that needs a solution. 

Give Each Task a Clear Owner

To ensure attention remains, assign a follow-up date to each of those issues. Document the owner on a shared checklist stating who can answer software queries, review, and train coding.

Dental insurance billing services can offer extra assistance if a review indicates there is a shortfall in the claim preparation and follow-up functions.

After assessing its in-house processes, your office should take a look at the demands of the payer. The review will assist your team to distinguish between the correct use of your code and plan coverage and process claims over calendar years. 

How Should Your Office Handle Payer Coverage and Year-End Claims?

Your staff needs to choose the most appropriate code when the service occurred, and compare it to the coverage terms in the patient’s plan. These checks focus on questions – which code is a description of treatment, and what benefits might apply.

According to the November 2026 bulletin from Cigna, CDT 2027 is for services on or after January 1, 2027. The same bulletin states that covered codes are situational and does not create coverage with the new code. 

Check Coverage Before Preparing the Patient’s Estimate

The coverage varies from one patient plan to another, so please check the plan carefully before determining what the patient will have to contribute. To verify limitations, documentation needs, and PPO fee schedules for affected procedures.

Keep a record of the information source and verification date. That information will provide your team with a point of reference should the payer’s answers at a later date vary from the estimate.

Dental insurance verification support can be provided in cases where staff require assistance in completing these checks, enabling them to review benefits prior to treatment. Explain clearly the justification for the estimate in terms of the findings, including any questions not answered by the findings for the cover question.  

Use the Service Date for Claims Submitted After December

Coverage checks are done for benefits, as well as receiving proper code edition for year end claims. The version of the code reported on a claim shall be the same date as the date of the provision of the service according to the ADA.

For instance, if the treatment is finished on Dec 29, 2026, the code version for the 2026 version of the treatment applies, even if the claim is submitted in Jan. The edition is not changed upon the actual submission date.

In the event of this, check that the software is still capable of serving older service dates post this update. Add this test to your tests and inform staff of how to prepare delayed claims without altering historical data if not needed. 

Revisit Treatment Plans Scheduled for January

The same date-based review should also cover treatment planned in 2026 and scheduled for 2027. Review whether they have an updated procedure entry in their code and review the documentation and patient estimate.

If a previous predetermination doesn’t have the same coding, enquire from the payer if they need it corrected. Write this down so that the person who is going to fill out the claim knows exactly what to fill it out with.

After these checks have been performed, track the claim until it gets to the payer’s response. The next step that your office does is to find out if the claim was accepted, how it was processed, and if the claim was paid. 

How Do You Monitor Dental Claims After the Update?

Manage all claims that are covered by this policy from submission until the review and payment process with the payers is complete. This aids your team in identifying the nature of a claim and determining further action.

Use a common tracking list for procedures impacted by the CDT 2027 changes. Document the procedure code, payer, date of service, current status, and follow-up individual. 

Follow Each Claim Through Payment

Use separate statuses so staff can see how far each claim has progressed:

1. Submitted to the clearinghouse.
2. Accepted or rejected by the clearinghouse.
3. Received or pending with the payer.
4. Processed by the payer.
5. Paid and reconciled, or assigned for further follow-up.

When these stages are separated, it means that the acceptance message will not be confused with acceptance of the payment. The payer must evaluate the Explanation of Benefits when the claim is paid and must understand how the claim was paid or adjusted, and any reasons that are given for not paying the claim.

Then compare that with the payment received and patient account. Help your team get through this step and quickly investigate differences with the help of Support for EFT reconciliation. 

Identify the Problem Before Correcting the Claim

Once a claim is rejected, denied, or paid other than the way it is expected, review the response before making a change. Determine if a plan is not being covered, there is a code selection problem/causes, or if documentation is missing, or if payment is not getting posted.

For instance, January’s claim may be denied because the service is not included in the patient’s benefits, even when the claim is correctly coded. In that case, that isn’t going to fix the coverage problem. This is because the ADA specifies that proper reporting of care does not guarantee that the patient’s plan won’t impose a cap on reimbursement.

After completing the root cause, document the next action and follow-up date. If multiple claims exhibit the same problem, look at the relevant template or software setting, or the payer direction before submitting additional impacted claims. 

Keep Unresolved Claims Visible

Have the issue log in conjunction with your accounts receivable aging report and let balances that haven’t been resolved stand out. New posts should include what happened, what the team has accomplished, and who is going to take the next action.

Those in the “old” balances may require further follow-up, and a service to recover accounts can cover that and help your staff with their ongoing claims.

This workflow review is finished with these monitoring steps. The rest of the prep work is all gathered in the next section in a checklist which your team can use before January! 

What Is the CDT 2027 Code Changes Checklist?

Use this guideline to break down and prepare activities as assignments. Work with official code entries in your office settings, and finally, review claims that were affected after the update.

Here are some office controls that are recommended. Update and adapt methods or clarify roles and timing according to procedures, software/packaging, and staffing. 

1. Get the official CDT 2027 resources. Provide access to the full code entries to those who are reviewing the selection and documentation of procedures. These entries should be used as the reference for the remaining checks.
2. Identify affected procedures. Look at the updates and services your office offers, and treatment to be scheduled in January. Document templates, fees, and billing directions to be reviewed. 
3. Confirm your software update plan. In a head-to-head comparison, integrate that list into your software administrator/vendor’s list. Verify timing of release and what will be done with claims that were processed first. 
4. Update templates and billing settings. Review saved procedure selections, clinical prompts, office fees, and patient estimate descriptions. Check PPO fee schedules separately against current payer information.
5. Verify payer requirements. If impacted services, review coverage guidelines and claims attachment for affected services. If questions are not answered, note them and have staff follow up on them before making an estimate. 
6. Test the complete workflow. When the settings are in place, verify procedure selection using a vendor-approved process based on output from the claim. Make note of any issues and involve them in the resolution. 
7. Train staff on the verified changes. For each role, detail what needs to be done, using the tested workflows. Include discounts and payment posting. 
8. Review readiness before January. Look to see if tasks are completed and ownership of questions. Provide a direct contact for technology coding or software problems. 
9. Monitor affected claims after launch. Track payer responses and payment reconciliation and leverage identified issues to enhance workflow. 

Who Should Own Each Task?

Give each task one responsible owner so questions reach the right person. The table below offers a starting point for dividing the work.

For a broader view of how these responsibilities connect, read our guide to dental revenue cycle management.

With responsibilities assigned, your office can also identify where additional billing support would help. That makes it easier to agree on a useful scope with an outside billing team.

How Can Virtual Dental Billing Help Your Office Prepare?

While your office prepares for the annual code update, Virtual Dental Billing can help prepare claims, verify insurance, and follow up with the payers. First, determine what work tasks need assistance from your team after deciding who is responsible for each task.

For example, your practitioner/therapist can sign off on the treatment that is documented, and your payroll person can review the actual claim and follow up on the responses from the payers. This section provides billing staff with a roadmap when it comes to questions requiring clinical input. 

Connect Billing Support With Your Office Workflow

After settings are configured, verify procedure selection using a vendor-approved process using claim output. Write down any issues and assign someone to fix them.

Include the role-based workflows you have tested to state what an individual or team from each role has to do. Include treatment planning / checkout / claim preparation / payment posting.

Ensure tasks are completed, and questions have owners. Provide one staff member with a designated contact point for coding/software problems.

Watch and learn payers’ actions, payment reconciliation, and ultimately use the issues faced to strengthen the workflow.