• Ask the Coder
• We have recently employed a pediatric dentist. We are having general dentists, outside of our practice, referring patient's to us for treatment. In these cases, the general dentist have already done the patient's exam/recall. Which code is the most appropriate to use when our pediatric dentist initially examines the patient? We are unsure on whether to use an exam code or a consultation code. Do we code differently if we do the patients treatment or if we cannot do the treatment and have to refer them out ourselves?

We have recently employed a pediatric dentist. We are having general dentists, outside of our practice, referring patient’s to us for treatment. In these cases, the general dentist have already done the patient’s exam/recall. Which code is the most appropriate to use when our pediatric dentist initially examines the patient? We are unsure on whether to use an exam code or a consultation code. Do we code differently if we do the patients treatment or if we cannot do the treatment and have to refer them out ourselves?