The American Medical Association recently approved a category III CPT code that allows primary care providers to apply silver diamine fluoride to treat cavities.
Five things to know:
1. Previously, only dental care providers could apply silver diamine fluoride.
2. The AMA's approval allows primary care providers to apply the treatment and get reimbursed for it.
3. The CPT code is expected to be added to code sets by electronic health records vendors in July 2023.
4. The CareQuest Institute for Oral Health is partnering with the Smiles for Life Oral Health educational organization to develop training on dental cavities identification and silver diamine fluoride application for medical professionals, according to an Oct. 17 news release from CareQuest.
5. A proposal for the new code was backed by several dental and medical groups, including the American Dental Association, American Dental Hygienists Association, National Coalition of Dentists for Health Equity and the Center for Medicare Advocacy.