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Published September 2026

Who usually does it

oral surgeon. Usually ordered by an oral surgeon or hospital dental clinic, and often done at a medical imaging center.

One question worth asking

Is this going to my dental plan or my medical plan?

Rare scans and other diagnostic codes

Check-ups and X-raysBasicD0290D0310D0320D0321D0322D0369D0370D0371+4

Scans and imaging that are rarely used in a dental office, such as MRI, ultrasound, skull surveys and dye X-rays of the jaw joint or salivary glands, plus the catch-all code for any diagnostic procedure that has no code of its own.

These are the imaging codes a dental office almost never uses, and most are ordered by a surgeon and done at a medical imaging center. Because they sit at the edge of dental billing, the same scan may go through medical insurance instead of dental. The catch-all diagnostic code always needs a written description on the claim.

Codes for this

D0290BasicSkull and face X-ray surveyA set of plain X-rays of the skull and facial bones, usually after an injury.per visit · Rarely doneD0310BasicSalivary gland dye X-rayDye is injected into a salivary duct so the gland shows up on X-ray.per visit · Rarely doneD0320BasicJaw joint X-ray with dyeDye is injected into the jaw joint before the X-ray to show the disc.per visit · Rarely doneD0321BasicJaw joint X-ray, other typeAny other X-ray of the jaw joint, with a written report.per visit · Rarely doneD0322BasicLayered (tomographic) X-rayAn older type of layered X-ray, mostly replaced by cone beam scans.per visit · Rarely doneD0369Not usually coveredMRI of the face or jaw, with readingAn MRI uses magnets, not X-rays, and shows soft tissue such as the jaw joint disc; done at a medical center.per visit · Rarely doneD0370Not usually coveredUltrasound of the face or jaw, with readingA sound-wave scan of soft tissue, such as a salivary gland or lump.per visit · Rarely doneD0371Not usually coveredSalivary gland scope examA tiny camera is passed into a salivary duct to look for a blockage.per visit · Rarely doneD0385Not usually coveredMRI, picture onlyThe MRI is captured here but read elsewhere.per visit · Rarely doneD0386Not usually coveredUltrasound, picture onlyThe ultrasound is captured here but read elsewhere.per visit · Rarely doneD0391BasicSecond reading of an outside X-rayA dentist reads and reports on X-rays taken at another office; no new picture is taken.per visit · Rarely doneD0999Not usually coveredOther diagnostic procedureThe catch-all code for any diagnostic step that has no code of its own; the office attaches a description.per visit · Rarely done

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Rare scans and other diagnostic codes: what happens, step by step | TruthMolar