I’m refining a one-page chairside capture checklist that cut our D2740 crown denials by 40% by requiring a pre-op fracture photo, a PA within 12 months, and a note on Delta’s 5-year replacement rule. For assistants grabbing photos and chart notes, would flags for downgrades (composite-to-amalgam) and core build-up D2950 help your team give accurate estimates before the patient leaves?
We added a “downgrade risk” checkbox and a D2950 toggle to our chairside form; when either is ticked, the estimate note auto-inserts “estimate reflects amalgam downgrade” and prompts a separate pre-op showing >50% missing structure for D2950, which cut surprises. Small caveat: Delta often wants a PA plus a bitewing and a clear fracture photo for “5-year replacement” and D2950, so we shoot a probe-in-frame pic as a ruler — silly, but adjusters love it; want the exact note text we use?
But great tip on pre-op fracture photos! I found that checking for any recent PA can save us from surprises, too. Have you considered tracking the estimate accuracy over time?