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Published September 2026

Who usually does it

oral surgeon. Billed by the oral pathology lab, not the dental office.

One question worth asking

Will the lab bill me separately from the dental office?

Other lab procedure, with report

Jaw and mouth surgeryBasicD0502

D0502. The catch-all for a pathology lab step with no code of its own.

Work done by a pathology lab on a tissue sample after a biopsy: looking at it under a microscope, special stains, and second opinions on slides. You do not attend these; they appear on the bill from the lab.

These lines come from a pathology lab rather than the dental office: preparing the sample, examining it under a microscope, extra stains when the first look is not conclusive, and a second pathologist's opinion on the slides. There is no appointment for any of it. Because the lab bills separately, one biopsy can produce two bills. Most plans file this as Basic. What they actually pay varies by plan.

Codes for this

D0472BasicTissue exam by eye, with reportThe lab looks at the sample without a microscope and writes a report.per visit · Rarely doneD0473BasicTissue exam under microscope, with reportThe standard biopsy reading under a microscope; the most common lab code after a biopsy.per visit · Rarely doneD0474BasicTissue exam checking the edges, with reportAlso checks whether the cut edges of the sample are clear, used after removing a growth.per visit · Rarely doneD0475BasicSoftening a bone sample for slidesA preparation step for hard tissue before it can be cut into slides.per visit · Rarely doneD0476BasicSpecial stain for germsA stain that shows bacteria or fungus in the sample.per visit · Rarely doneD0477BasicSpecial stain for other findingsA stain for features other than germs.per visit · Rarely doneD0478BasicAntibody stainUses antibodies to identify specific cell types in the sample.per visit · Rarely doneD0479BasicDNA or RNA test on tissueLooks at genetic material in the sample.per visit · Rarely doneD0480BasicCell smear exam, with reportReads loose cells on a slide rather than a piece of tissue.per visit · Rarely doneD0481BasicElectron microscope examA very high magnification exam, rarely needed.per visit · Rarely doneD0482BasicDirect immunofluorescence testA glowing-antibody test on the tissue itself, used for blistering gum conditions.per visit · Rarely doneD0483BasicIndirect immunofluorescence testThe same glowing-antibody method applied to a blood sample instead of tissue.per visit · Rarely doneD0484BasicSecond opinion on outside slidesA second lab reviews slides made elsewhere.per visit · Rarely doneD0485BasicSlide preparation and consult on an outside sampleA lab both prepares and reads a sample sent from another office.per visit · Rarely doneD0486BasicBrush sample cell examReads cells collected by brushing the inside of the mouth.per visit · Rarely doneD0502BasicOther lab procedure, with reportThe catch-all for a pathology lab step with no code of its own.per visit · Rarely done

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Other lab procedure, with report (D0502): what happens, step by step | TruthMolar