Effective January 1, 2008, Northeast Delta Dental will be adding the following new oral cancer screening procedure codes to its list of covered services for the individual product and most group accounts:
D0431 — Adjunctive prediagnostic test that aids in detection of mucosal abnormalities including premalignant and malignant lesions, not to include cytology or biopsy procedures.
D7288 — Brush biopsy for collection of oral disaggregated transepithelial cells via rotational brushing of the oral mucosa.
Early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are critically important with all cancers, including oral cancer. Early detection can lead to higher survival rates. Recent advances have enabled dentists to provide in-office screenings of suspicious spots or sores in patients' mouths to detect potentially dangerous cells. Northeast Delta Dental believes these oral cancer screening tests contribute to overall health and translate to reduced future health care costs.