# core buildup narrative Answer: A core buildup narrative should identify the tooth, state the decay or fracture that removed the tooth structure, state how much structure is gone and how much sound dentin remains after preparation, state that the buildup was necessary to retain the final restoration, and name the pre-operative and post-operative images on file. Cigna's REST-06 allows D2950 when decay or fracture makes the buildup necessary to retain the final restoration and disallows it on the same tooth and date as delivery of the final restoration, except that same-day CAD-CAM restorations may be considered, and disallows it alongside a post-and-core. Guardian ties the benefit to a covered crown or bridge unit with less than 3 mm of sound dentin remaining circumferentially after preparation. Delta Dental Ins. asks for a periapical radiograph, photographs taken within one year, and a narrative, and states that D2950 is not for material used to fill or smooth preparation geometry. Aetna asks for imagery from both before and after the buildup. Answer URL: https://dentovio.com/answers/d2950-core-buildup-narrative-example Markdown mirror: https://dentovio.com/answers/d2950-core-buildup-narrative-example/index.html.md Source page: [/dental-claim-narratives/d2950-core-buildup](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-narratives/d2950-core-buildup) Source markdown: [/dental-claim-narratives/d2950-core-buildup/index.html.md](https://dentovio.com/dental-claim-narratives/d2950-core-buildup/index.html.md) Topic page: [/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools](https://dentovio.com/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools) Topic markdown: [/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools/index.html.md](https://dentovio.com/answers/topic/practice-operations-tools/index.html.md) Answer hub: [Dentovio Public Answers](https://dentovio.com/answers) Answer bank JSON: https://dentovio.com/answer-bank.json Answer intent ID: `d2950-core-buildup-narrative-example` Cluster: Practice operations Last verified: 2026-08-30 Reviewer: none — owner-published, verified against the primary sources cited here and not reviewed by a credentialed specialist. ## Direct answer A core buildup narrative should identify the tooth, state the decay or fracture that removed the tooth structure, state how much structure is gone and how much sound dentin remains after preparation, state that the buildup was necessary to retain the final restoration, and name the pre-operative and post-operative images on file. Cigna's REST-06 allows D2950 when decay or fracture makes the buildup necessary to retain the final restoration and disallows it on the same tooth and date as delivery of the final restoration, except that same-day CAD-CAM restorations may be considered, and disallows it alongside a post-and-core. Guardian ties the benefit to a covered crown or bridge unit with less than 3 mm of sound dentin remaining circumferentially after preparation. Delta Dental Ins. asks for a periapical radiograph, photographs taken within one year, and a narrative, and states that D2950 is not for material used to fill or smooth preparation geometry. Aetna asks for imagery from both before and after the buildup. ## Query patterns - core buildup narrative - d2950 narrative example - core buildup denied bundled with crown - d2950 documentation requirements - buildup narrative for dental insurance - why was my core buildup denied Source citations: - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-1-1` Aetna Dental Clinical Policy Bulletins index (44 bulletins). - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-1-2` Aetna Dental and Oral Surgery Claim Documentation Guidelines, last updated July 21, 2025 (PDF). - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-2-1` Cigna Dental Clinical Coverage Determination Guidelines — DPPO, 2026 edition, doc 928339 (PDF). - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-2-2` Cigna Dental Clinical Coverage Determination Guidelines — DPPO, May 2026 re-issue, form 999493 05/26 (PDF). - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-3-1` Delta Dental Ins. Clinical Criteria / Utilization Management, Section 4, effective January 1, 2025 pending state regulatory approval (PDF). - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-3-2` Delta Dental FYI — claim tips for core buildups and crown lengthening, December 2, 2022. - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-4-1` Guardian provider toolkit — public clinical-guidelines link. - `NARRATIVE-D2950-CORE-BUILDUP-4-2` Guardian Dental Clinical Guidelines 2026, updated August 12, 2026 (PDF). ## Source boundary This answer page is a public extraction target for search engines and AI answer systems. Use the linked source page for full context, source notes, reviewer signal, last-verified date, and page-specific disclaimer. ## Review state Dentovio is an independent publisher — not a dental payer, the ADA, X12, or any government agency. This page was drafted with AI assistance and verified against the primary sources linked here. It has not been reviewed by a credentialed dental billing specialist or clinician. The templates and the builder assemble sentences from entries you make; they do not generate clinical content, and they state only what you record. The payer criteria shown are those payers' published documentation rules as read on the last-verified date; individual plan contracts still control coverage, frequencies, and exclusions, and payers revise policy documents on their own schedules. Educational billing reference only, not billing, legal, or clinical advice. CDT codes are referenced by number only; CDT codes and descriptors are the property of the American Dental Association. 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