D4341 Dental Code Cost in 2026: Scaling and Root Planing Per Quadrant

What D4341 is

D4341 is the CDT procedure code for "periodontal scaling and root planing, four or more teeth per quadrant". It is the standard, most commonly billed deep-cleaning code — the "full quadrant" version of scaling and root planing (SRP). It is a therapeutic procedure for diagnosed periodontitis: the dentist or hygienist removes plaque, tartar, and bacterial toxins from below the gumline and smooths the root surface so the gum tissue can reattach. It is performed under local anesthetic, one quadrant at a time.

The clinical threshold that justifies D4341 is generally pocket depth of 4mm or deeper on multiple teeth, with bleeding on probing, documented in periodontal charting. The American Academy of Periodontology publishes the clinical guidelines for periodontitis staging and SRP. Insurance carriers require that charting (six pocket-depth measurements per tooth) to justify a D4341 claim; if the charting does not support the diagnosis, the insurer denies the claim and reprocesses it as a routine prophylaxis. This page is a cost reference, not clinical advice; the decision to perform SRP is between you and your dentist.

Because the mouth is divided into four quadrants (upper right, upper left, lower right, lower left), D4341 is billed per quadrant. A full mouth of periodontitis can generate up to four separate D4341 fees, which is why full-mouth SRP costs far more than a single-code cleaning and is usually split across two visits.

D4341 vs D4342: the two SRP codes

Both D4341 and D4342 are scaling and root planing. The only difference is how many teeth in the quadrant require the procedure, and that changes the fee.

• D4341: scaling and root planing, four or more teeth per quadrant. The "full quadrant" code, used when 4 or more teeth in the quadrant have pockets of 4mm or deeper. This is the most commonly billed SRP code. Cash range: $200 to $400 per quadrant in 2026.
• D4342: scaling and root planing, one to three teeth per quadrant. The "limited quadrant" code, used when only 1 to 3 teeth in the quadrant need SRP and the rest are periodontally healthy. Cash range: $150 to $320 per quadrant in 2026.

A patient with generalized periodontitis affecting all four quadrants is typically billed D4341 four times (full-mouth SRP). A patient with localized disease affecting only the back molars in a couple of quadrants might be billed D4341 for the worse quadrants and D4342 for the ones with fewer affected teeth. The dentist's clinical judgment, supported by the periodontal chart, determines which code applies per quadrant.

One code below SRP is worth knowing: if your gums are widely inflamed but have no bone loss, the diagnosis is gingivitis rather than periodontitis, and the correct code is D4346 (a single full-mouth scaling, $100 to $300 cash) rather than per-quadrant SRP.

The cleaning codes side by side

D4341 sits at the periodontitis end of the cleaning-code ladder. Seeing all four codes on one table is the clearest way to place it. The dividing line between them is the state of your gums and bone, documented in periodontal charting.

2026 cost of D4341 by scenario

The table below shows the typical 2026 cost of D4341 (and D4342 for comparison) across the most common billing scenarios. Cash ranges are our estimates cross-checked against FAIR Health Consumer median paid amounts; the ADA discontinued its national fee survey in 2023, so no survey percentiles exist for 2026.

A common patient surprise: even with PPO insurance covering D4341 at 80%, the annual maximum can absorb most of your year's dental benefit on a single full-mouth treatment. If your plan's annual maximum is $1,500 and your full-mouth SRP costs $1,200, the insurer pays $960 (80%), leaving $240 out-of-pocket on the SRP and only $540 of benefit left for any other dental work that calendar year.

How insurance handles D4341

Dental plans almost universally classify D4341 as a "basic" restorative service rather than a "preventive" service, covered at 80% after the deductible (some older plan generations at 50%). Two rules shape the out-of-pocket. First, the insurer requires periodontal charting documenting 4mm-plus pockets with bleeding; without it the claim is denied or downgraded to a prophylaxis allowance. Second, most plans limit SRP to once every 24 months per quadrant, after which ongoing care moves to periodontal maintenance (D4910) every 3 to 4 months. See our full scaling and root planing cost page for the per-plan-type breakdown and the periodontal-maintenance follow-up cost.

When D4341 is the right code (and when it is not)

D4341 is appropriate when periodontal charting documents pockets of 4mm or deeper with bleeding on 4 or more teeth in a quadrant — that is, diagnosed periodontitis, not gingivitis. It is not appropriate as a routine recall cleaning for healthy gums (that is D1110), and it should not be substituted for the gingivitis code when there is no bone loss (that is D4346). If you receive a treatment plan recommending D4341, you are entitled to see the periodontal chart and ask which teeth show the pocket depths that justify the code. As with any cleaning-versus-deep-cleaning recommendation, a second opinion at a non-chain practice or a dental school clinic (paying for an exam, $85 to $150 cash) is your patient right if the recommendation feels uncertain. For the full clinical and cost picture, see our deep cleaning page.

FAQ