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Published September 2026

1 of 5The wisdom tooth is tilted and stuck under gum and bone behind the last molar
  1. The wisdom tooth is tilted and stuck under gum and bone behind the last molar
  2. Sedated or numbed. The gum is folded back and a little bone is trimmed
  3. The tooth is split so each piece can come out through the small opening
  4. The pieces are lifted out one at a time
  5. The gum is stitched. Swelling settles over a week or two

Who usually does it

oral surgeon. Usually referred to an oral surgeon, especially for bony impactions or when sedation is wanted.

One question worth asking

Is sedation included in the quote, or listed separately?

Impacted tooth fully in bone

Extractions and wisdom teethMajorD7240

D7240. The tooth is completely buried in bone.

An impacted tooth is stuck under the gum or bone and cannot come in normally, most often a wisdom tooth. Codes differ by how deeply the tooth is buried: under gum only, partly in bone, fully in bone, or fully in bone with extra difficulty.

The surgeon opens the gum over the tooth, takes away enough bone to reach it, often divides it so it comes out in pieces through a smaller opening, and stitches the gum. Codes climb with how deeply the tooth sits: under gum only, partly in bone, fully in bone, or fully in bone and awkwardly placed. Sedation, when it is used, is billed on its own line. Most plans file this as Major. What they actually pay varies by plan.

Codes for this

D7220BasicImpacted tooth under gum onlyThe tooth is covered only by gum, not bone; the easiest impaction.per tooth · Done oftenD7230MajorImpacted tooth partly in boneThe tooth is partly covered by bone, which is removed to free it.per tooth · Done oftenD7240MajorImpacted tooth fully in boneThe tooth is completely buried in bone.per tooth · Done oftenD7241MajorImpacted tooth fully in bone, extra difficultFully buried with a complication such as a root near the nerve or an unusual position.per tooth · Done sometimesD7251MajorRemoving the crown of an impacted tooth, leaving rootsOnly the top of the tooth is removed because the roots sit on a nerve.per tooth · Rarely done
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Part of these flowsWisdom teeth

Related

Impacted tooth fully in bone (D7240): what happens, step by step | TruthMolar