ST. PAUL, Minn. – January 11, 2013 – Effective January 1, 2013, 3M™ ESPE™ Lava™ Ultimate Restorative will fall under the CDT Code’s broadened definition of porcelain/ceramic materials thus allowing Lava Ultimate restorative to be classified as a porcelain/ceramic. This classification is solely to aid selection of the appropriate procedure code to achieve uniformity, consistency and specificity in accurately reporting dental treatment.
Lava Ultimate restorative is an innovative new material formulated from a blend of approximately 80 percentnanoceramic particles embedded in a highly-cured resin matrix using a proprietary 3M manufacturing process. When the material was originally launched, the ADA’s CDT Code nomenclature did not yet reflect the advances in material science thatLava Ultimate restorative represents, resulting in challenges with selecting the proper dental procedure code for insurance reimbursement. With the broadened definition for indirect porcelain/ceramic restorations, Lava Ultimate restorative will fall under any CDT code defined for ceramics, allowing for the same rate of reimbursement as other ceramic materials.
“With this change, effective January 1, 2013, we want to ensure that all dentists know about the broadened definition of porcelain/ceramics and what it means for their practice,” said John Stefanick, director of industry & professional relations, 3M ESPE. “This broadened definition of porcelain/ceramics in the CDT Code helps to make the benefits of advanced material science accessible to more patients.”
The insurance reimbursement enabled by the revised definition of porcelain/ceramic materials will make it even easier for dentists to take advantage of Lava Ultimate restorative’s unique functionality, providing restorations that are strong as well as kind to opposing dentition. The restorations can be repaired intraorally if necessary, and are backed by a 10-year warranty from 3M ESPE. With the ability to codeLava Ultimate restorative like other porcelain/ceramic materials for insurance reimbursement, beginning January 1, 2013, even more dentists and patients can experience the outstanding qualities of this material.
For more information about Lava Ultimate restorative, visit www.3mespe.com/LavaUltimate.
The Current Dental Terminology (CDT) is the intellectual property of the American Dental Association and is protected by copyright.
3M ESPE is a dental product manufacturer that markets more than 2,000 dental products and services. 3M ESPE dental products are designed to help dental professionalsimprove their patients’ oral health care. The 3M Digital Oral Care Department, part of the 3M ESPE Division, aims to accelerate and strengthen 3M’s efforts to lead the digital transformation that is occurring in oral care. 3M Health Care, one of 3M’s six major business segments, provides world-class innovative products and services to help health care professionals improve the practice and delivery of patient care in medical, oral care, drug delivery and health information markets. For more information on the complete 3M ESPE line of dental products, visit the 3M ESPE website at http://www.3MESPE.comor call the 3M ESPE Technical Hotline at 1-800-634-2249. Products are available for purchase through authorized 3M ESPE distributors.
3M, ESPE and Lava are trademarks of 3M or 3M Deutschland GmbH. Used under license in Canada. © 3M 2012. All rights reserved.
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