Can you tell me if it is normal for an adult to be charged for a Therapeutic
Pulpotomy (exc rest) on # 3 ,4 then in exactly one month later have a "Root
canal therapy " be done on those same two teeth? This individual is 22 years
old.

rrtrnprn wrote:
Can you tell me if it is normal for an adult to be charged for a
Therapeutic
Pulpotomy (exc rest) on # 3 ,4 then in exactly one month later have a
"Root
canal therapy " be done on those same two teeth? This individual is 22
years
old.



Gray area. First of all, a pulpotomy is seldom appropriate definitive
treatment for a permanent tooth. It generally takes only a bit more time
to remove the pulpal tissue from the canals as well, which would be called
a pulpectomy.
A dentist may bill this out any way he/she wishes; but if it were me and
for some reason I couldn't proceed onto the root canal at the first visit,
I would probably charge for a palliative (relief of pain) visit, and then
the root canal. If there is insurance involved there is a good chance
benefits won't be paid on the pulpotomy.

Steve

--
Mark & Steven Bornfeld DDS
http://www.dentaltwins.com
Brooklyn, NY
718-258-5001

Perhaps they billed for the pulpotomy as a separate procedure because:
1) They did not know if the patient would return for the RCT
2) The tooth had a questionable prognosis and they needed time without an
inflamed pulp to determine the prognosis
3) Combination endo-perio lesion and needed to get the endo portion under
control while treating the perio
4) other.

Amatus Cremona wrote:
Perhaps they billed for the pulpotomy as a separate procedure because:
1) They did not know if the patient would return for the RCT
2) The tooth had a questionable prognosis and they needed time without
an inflamed pulp to determine the prognosis
3) Combination endo-perio lesion and needed to get the endo portion
under control while treating the perio
4) other.



True. Perhaps I was a bit hasty in my assessment--or I'm still more
cynical than you are.

Steve

I did say "perhaps". I agree with being cynical much of the time.

Amatus Cremona wrote:

I did say "perhaps". I agree with being cynical much of the time.


I would certainly bill for 'something' the first trip, however I
would usually discount that amount off of the endo fee if I were
completing endo therapy on the tooth in a few days/weeks.

'Course a HMO/PPO office could be billing for each to up the total
fee to 'normal', or it could be an office where a practice manager
has recommended new ways to squeeze a little cash out of the patients.

D