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Published September 2026

1 of 7Decay reached the nerve. The nerve is inflamed and hurts
  1. Decay reached the nerve. The nerve is inflamed and hurts
  2. Numbed. A rubber sheet isolates the tooth and keeps it dry
  3. A small opening is drilled through the top into the nerve chamber
  4. Tiny files clean and shape each canal all the way to the root tip
  5. The canals are washed out and dried
  6. Each canal is sealed with a rubbery filling material
  7. A filling closes the opening. A crown usually follows on a back tooth

Who usually does it

endodontist. General dentists do many front tooth and premolar root canals and refer molars and difficult cases to an endodontist.

One question worth asking

Does the crown that usually follows fall in the same plan year as this?

Rubber dam during surgery

Root canalsBasicD3910

D3910. A protective sheet isolates the tooth during a surgical step; normally included in the root canal fee.

A root canal removes the inflamed or dead nerve from inside a tooth, cleans and shapes the hollow root, and seals it so the tooth can be kept. Codes differ by tooth type because back teeth have more roots. A crown usually follows.

The tooth is numbed and isolated, a small opening is made in the top, and fine files clean and shape each canal while rinses wash them out. The canals are then filled with a rubbery material and sealed. Front teeth have one canal, premolars often one or two and molars three or more, which is why the codes split by tooth type. A crown usually follows on a back tooth and is billed on its own. Most plans file this as Major. What they actually pay varies by plan.

Codes for this

D3310MajorRoot canal, front toothOne root, the simplest and least costly root canal; some plans class it as basic.per tooth · Done oftenD3320MajorRoot canal, premolarThe tooth between the canines and molars, usually one or two roots.per tooth · Done oftenD3330MajorRoot canal, molarThe back tooth with three or more roots; the most involved and most often referred to a specialist.per tooth · Done oftenD3331MajorClearing a blocked canalExtra work to get past a blockage inside the root without surgery; added to a root canal.per tooth · Rarely doneD3332BasicPartial root canal on a tooth that will be pulledThe root canal is started for pain relief but not finished because the tooth cannot be saved.per tooth · Rarely doneD3333MajorRepairing a hole in the root from insideSeals a perforation in the root wall from inside the canal.per tooth · Rarely doneD3910BasicRubber dam during surgeryA protective sheet isolates the tooth during a surgical step; normally included in the root canal fee.per visit · Rarely doneD3911BasicSealing the top of a finished root canalA barrier placed over the canal opening before the final filling, to keep bacteria out.per tooth · Rarely doneD3999MajorOther root canal procedureThe catch-all code for a root canal type procedure with no code of its own.per tooth · Rarely done

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Rubber dam during surgery (D3910): what happens, step by step | TruthMolar