I have run across a claim with only D0460 being billed. The patient was seen for a tooth ache with sensitivity to hot food/liquids. The chart notes state that the soft tissue exam showed tissue was WNL. My question is should I be billing for an exam such as D0140 and consider the D0460 as part of the exam? Or do I bill for both D0140 and D0460 since an exam must have occurred? Or is there something else I should be doing? Thank you for your help.
If the provider is doing more than just a pulp vitality test, which I am sure according to the notes he/she is then you would code both the exam as D0140 and the pulp vitality test D0460 as it would be appropriate to bill both.