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Published September 2026

Who usually does it

general dentist. Done by the dentist placing the crown.

One question worth asking

Is the build-up a separate line from the crown on this plan?

Preparing the root for a post

CrownsBasicD3950

D3950. Shapes the root canal so a post will fit; done after the root canal, before the post.

When too little tooth is left to hold a crown, the dentist rebuilds the missing part with filling material (a core build-up) and may anchor it with a post set into the root canal. These codes are billed with the crown, not instead of it.

When most of the top of the tooth is gone, filling material is packed in to rebuild a shape the crown can grip. If even that has nothing to hold on to, a small post is cemented down one root canal to anchor the build-up. These are billed alongside the crown rather than instead of it, so one tooth can show two or three lines.

Codes for this

D2915BasicRe-cementing a post and coreGlues a loose post and core back in.per tooth · Rarely doneD2949BasicShaping the tooth before a restorationAdds material to change the tooth's shape before a crown or other restoration, without a full core.per tooth · Rarely doneD2950MajorCore build-upRebuilds a badly broken tooth with filling material so a crown has something to hold; often billed with a crown.per tooth · Done oftenD2951BasicPin to hold a fillingA tiny pin set into the tooth to anchor a large filling.per tooth · Done sometimesD2952MajorLab-made post and coreA custom cast post and core, made in a lab, for a root canal treated tooth.per tooth · Done sometimesD2953MajorExtra lab-made post, same toothA second cast post in a tooth with more than one root.per tooth · Rarely doneD2954MajorReady-made post and coreA prefabricated post cemented into the root canal with a core built around it; the common version.per tooth · Done oftenD2955BasicRemoving a postTakes out an old post, usually before a root canal redo.per tooth · Rarely doneD2957MajorExtra ready-made post, same toothA second prefabricated post in a tooth with more than one root.per tooth · Rarely doneD3950BasicPreparing the root for a postShapes the root canal so a post will fit; done after the root canal, before the post.per tooth · Done sometimes

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Preparing the root for a post (D3950): what happens, step by step | TruthMolar