2026 ADA CDT Code Updates: The New Codes (All 31) and What They Mean for Your Practice

If there’s one thing we can all agree on in dentistry, it’s this: coding changes are never “just a small update.” They affect your entire workflow, from clinical notes and documentation to claim submission, reimbursement, and even how you communicate treatment value to patients.

With the revenue cycle being tighter than ever, staying ahead of CDT code updates isn’t optional; it’s essential. The practices that win in 2026 will be the ones that understand what’s changing before the denials start rolling in and who builds systems around these updates early.

Whether you’re the doctor, office manager, insurance coordinator, treatment coordinator, or part of an admin team that “wears all the hats,” understanding the new CDT codes will help you:

• reduce claim delays and denials
• strengthen clinical documentation
• improve consistency between providers and front office teams
• protect production and collections
• confidently explain coding and treatment to patients

January 1, 2026, dental claims must use the CDT 2026 code set for dates of service in 2026. The ADA’s Code Maintenance Committee finalized 60 total CDT changes for 2026: 31 additions, 14 revisions, 6 deletions, and 9 editorial actions.

That’s not just “coding housekeeping.” These changes will impact documentation, claim acceptance, patient communication, and collections, particularly in areas such as sedation/anesthesia, implant maintenance, diagnostic testing, and specialty prosthodontics.

All 31 New CDT 2026 Codes (Additions)

Below are the 31 new codes included in the CDT 2026 updates based on the published 2026 code-changes summary.

1. Diagnostics & testing

• D0426 Collection, preparation, and analysis of saliva sample point-of-care
• D0461 Testing for cracked tooth

2. Vaccination

• D1720 Influenza vaccine administration

3. Dentures/duplicates

• D5877 Duplication of a complete denture maxillary
• D5878 Duplication of a complete denture mandibular

4. Guidance prostheses

• D5909 Maxillary guidance prosthesis with guide flange
• D5930 Maxillary guidance prosthesis without guide flange

5. Resection prostheses (new series)

• D5938 Resection prosthesis, maxillary complete removable
• D5939 Resection prosthesis, mandibular, complete removable
• D5940 Resection prosthesis, maxillary partial removable
• D5941 Resection prosthesis, mandibular partial removable
• D5942 Resection prosthesis, maxillary implant/abutment supported removable (edentulous arch)
• D5943 Resection prosthesis, mandibular implant/abutment supported removable (edentulous arch)
• D5944 Resection prosthesis, maxillary implant/abutment supported removable (partial edentulous arch)
• D5945 Resection prosthesis, mandibular implant/abutment supported removable (partial edentulous arch)
• D5946 Resection prosthesis, maxillary implant/abutment supported fixed (edentulous arch)
• D5947 Resection prosthesis, mandibular implant/abutment supported fixed (edentulous arch)
• D5948 Resection prosthesis, maxillary implant/abutment supported fixed (partial edentulous arch)
• D5949 Resection prosthesis, mandibular implant/abutment supported fixed (partial edentulous arch)

6. Implants (peri-implantitis + maintenance)

• D6049 Scaling and debridement of a single implant in the presence of peri-implantitis, without flap entry/closure
• D6280 Implant maintenance procedures when a full arch removable implant/abutment supported denture is removed/reinserted (including cleaning) per arch

7. Occlusal guards

• D9936 Cleaning and inspection of occlusal guard per appliance

8. Implant restorative removal

• D6196 Removal of an indirect restoration on an implant-retained abutment

9. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBM)

• D9128  Photobiomodulation therapy first 15-minute increment (or portion)
• D9129  Photobiomodulation therapy, each subsequent 15-minute increment (or portion)

10. Sedation/anesthesia additions (major change area)

• D9224 General anesthesia with advanced airway – first 15-minute increment (or portion)
• D9225 General anesthesia with advanced airway – each subsequent 15-minute increment (or portion)
• D9244 In-office administration of minimal sedation – single drug – enteral
• D9245 Administration of moderate sedation – enteral
• D9246 Administration of moderate sedation – non-intravenous parenteral – first 15-minute increment (or portion)
• D9247 Administration of moderate sedation – non-intravenous parenteral – each subsequent 15-minute increment (or portion)

The 2026 deletions you must stop using

If your team keeps using deleted codes in 2026, you can expect denials, requests for corrected claims, and unnecessary AR drag.

The ADA highlighted 6 deletions in CDT 2026, including:

• D1352 Preventive resin restoration (moderate/high caries risk) – permanent tooth (deleted; overlaps with how D2391 is now defined)
• D1705, D1706, D1707, D1712 AstraZeneca/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine administration codes (deleted because those vaccines are no longer manufactured/supplied)
• D9248 Non-intravenous conscious sedation (deleted; replaced by more specific sedation codes)

Business impact: if you provided these services historically, you’ll need updated crosswalks and new clinical documentation standards so you’re reporting the right 2026 alternative.

The 2026 revisions that will change how you document (and get paid)

CDT 2026 also includes 14 revised codes.
A few revisions the ADA specifically called out:

• D2391 (resin-based composite, 1 surface posterior): the descriptor change removes language that restricted reporting based on lesion depth/status, improving consistency, and it ties directly to deleting D1352.
• D9230 (nitrous oxide): revised descriptor clarifies reporting when nitrous is delivered as a single agent (part of broader anesthesia updates).
• D5876 (add metal substructure to acrylic complete denture): revised to clarify scope (reinforcement during fabrication/repair).

How these changes affect your business

1. Faster claims or more rework, depending on your prep

If your software isn’t updated, your fee schedule isn’t mapped, or your team doesn’t know when to use the new codes, you’ll see:

• More rejections at the clearinghouse
• Downcoding and narrative requests
• Corrected-claim volume spike
• Delayed patient statements (and lower collection rates)

2. Sedation/anesthesia is the biggest operational shift

This is where “close enough” coding can hurt you. CDT 2026 expands and clarifies sedation reporting (and deletes D9248).

What to do now (practical):

• Update your clinical note templates to capture:
  • route (enteral vs non-IV parenteral vs IV vs GA with advanced airway),
  • time-based increments (start/stop),
  • monitoring and provider attendance.

3. New implant codes can support cleaner documentation and better case acceptance

• D6049 helps clearly document peri-implantitis debridement without flap entry.
• D6280 supports reporting implant maintenance for full-arch removable implant/abutment-supported dentures.

Business upside: clearer coding supports clearer patient communication, more accurate estimates, and fewer “what was this charge?” conversations.

4. Occlusal guard maintenance is now distinctly reportable

If you regularly clean/inspect guards, D9936 makes that service easier to document consistently.

5. Diagnostic innovation is officially “on the map.”

• Point-of-care saliva testing (D0426) and cracked-tooth testing (D0461) reflect what many practices already do clinically—now it can be documented more precisely.

Reality check: coverage will vary by payer/plan, but the code supports better records and better communication either way.