Name it, Claim it, Treat it! Code 4346 & SoproCARE

You have heard that the ADA is introducing a new code, Code 4346, for the treatment of gingivitis, right? It’s a very big thing. You and your hygienists know that there was always a gap between a regular cleaning and periodontal scaling and root planing into which many patients fell, and floundered, potentially impacting their systemic health. If you couldn’t show bone loss with an x-ray, you either couldn’t treat it, or performed scaling and root planing to eliminate the problem, and got reimbursed for it the best you could. Code 4346 is about to change all that.

One of the caveats with Code 4346 is that at least 30% of a patient’s teeth must be involved in order to bill for gingivitis treatment. Following the Löe and Silness index guidelines for types of gingival inflammation, the patient must exhibit moderate to severe inflammation for this code to be designated. Gingivitis might be a little more difficult to demonstrate than periodontitis, unless you are using Acteon’s SoproCARE technology.

SoproCARE is the only imaging system on the market that can detect and highlight gingival inflammation in the same video as caries, dental plaque, and calculus. SoproCARE has three modes: daylight, which you can use to take regular pictures; caries detection; and a perio mode, which is the one that falls in line with this new code. Images can be used for documentation that the patient needs the treatment, the treatment has been completed, and as a teaching tool to show patients what’s going on, because you’re highlighting and accentuating the plaque/tartar and gingival inflammation to make it visible.

ACTEON North America has partnered with the American Dental Hygienists Association (ADHA), offering four educational webinars, two live hands-on courses, and other educational events. Keeping the oral/systemic connection in mind, by combining ACTEON’s imaging technology with its NEWTRON ultrasonic devices for cleaning will improve your patients’ total health while addressing their oral health.

You can finally Name it, Claim it, Treat it with SoproCARE.