2026 CDT Code Changes Coming
Updates are coming to CDT codes related to saliva testing, resin-based composites and more in 2026 following a meeting by the Code Maintenance Committee on March 7 at ADA Head- quarters in Chicago. The committee voted to accept, revise or decline more than 50 proposed changes to the 2026 CDT Code.
One new code approved by the com- mittee addresses point-of-care saliva testing. “Point-of-care” refl ects the use of these tests both at dental offi ces and other care sites such as assisted living facilities. The committee also voted to amend two existing codes related to saliva testing. The changes refl ect the use of those codes for laboratory-based saliva tests.
Another action taken by the committee included approving the deletion of the descriptor for Code D2391 resin-based composite—one surface, posterior that specifi ed the status of the carious lesion being restored. The deletion will allow providers to use the code to report one-surface resin-based composite restorations regardless of lesion depth or diagnosis.
In a related action, the committee voted to remove Code D1352 preventive resin restoration in a moderate to high caries risk patient—permanent tooth from the CDT Code because that procedure could be accurately documented and re- ported using the updated Code D2391.
Following the meeting, the Council on Dental Benefi t Programs will assign CDT numbers to each new code and ensure all other actions are refl ected in the 2026 CDT Code book, which will be available this fall. All code changes ap- proved at the meeting will be eff ective Jan. 1, 2026.
For more information about the Code Maintenance Committee and its pro- cesses, visit
ADA.org/CDT.
2025 Oral Health Champions T
he Missouri Coalition for Oral Health (MCOH) honored Dr. Aaron Bumann, Dr. Ron Wilkerson and
Dr. Emily Hahn as the Oral Health Cham- pions of 2025 for their signifi cant contribu- tions to improving oral health in Missouri. The awards were presented on March 6 during the Missouri Oral Health Policy Conference, the only statewide conference dedicated to oral health policy in Missouri. These awardees are recognized for their signifi cant eff orts in advancing oral health policy at the state level and for their contri- butions to improving oral health.
From left, Dr. Wilkerson, Dr. Hahn, Gary Harbison, MCOH Executive Director, and Dr. Bumann.
Aaron Bumann, DDS, FACD, FAAPD, Kansas City, Mo., is in private practice in Liberty, Mo. and serves as the Public Policy Advocate for the Missouri Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. He graduated from the University of Minnesota School of Dentistry and subsequently com- pleted an Advanced Education in General Dentistry (AEGD) at the Center for Family Health in Jackson, Mich. Afterward, he moved to Danville, Penn., to fi nish his pediatric dental training at Geisinger Medical Center. Dr. Bumann has also worked as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Michigan and the University of Missouri- Kansas City. He frequently lectures dental students on ethics, advocacy and organized dentistry. Currently, he is the chair of the Council for Government Aff airs for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD).
Ron Wilkerson, DMD, St. James, Mo., graduated from the Southern Illinois University School of Dental Medicine in 2008. He has been a Medicaid provider since graduating. He has served on the MDA board since 2013 and is currently President-Elect. Dr. Wilkerson was part of the Governor’s task force for COVID-19 reopening guidelines for dental offi ces in Missouri and was actively involved in the passage of the limited adult benefi t expansion for Medicaid. He has advocated for increases in Medicaid reimbursement rates in Missouri. Currently, he chairs the Missouri Dental Advisory Committee and has been involved with the MDA Expanded Function Dental Assistant (EFDA) program since 2011, contributing to the development of the Oral Preventive Assistant EFDA module to enhance patient care.
Emily Hahn, DDS, Chesterfi eld, Mo., is the owner and founder of Skyview Pediatric Dentistry, located within the St. Louis Children’s Hospital West County Specialty Care Center. She is a volunteer professor at Washington University and serves as the craniofa- cial team dentist at St. Louis Children’s Hospital. Emily’s vision was to integrate Medicaid and provide care for children with special health care needs within a private practice, and after fi ve years, that dream has become a reality. She attended Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wis. for her undergraduate studies and dental school. Emily completed her pe- diatric dental training at Lutheran Medical Center in Yakima, Wash. During her residency, she also earned a certifi cate in Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities from the University of Washington. Currently, Emily is the president-elect of the Greater St. Louis Dental Society, a board member of the MDA Foundation, and a mem- ber of the committee for Special Health Care Needs for the AAPD Dentistry.
MCOH is a non-profi t organization dedicated to improving the oral health of Missourians through advocacy for sound public policy. Its membership includes advocates from across the state as well as over 35 local organizations, including the MDA. Learn more about MCOH at
oralhealthmissouri.org.
ISSUE 1 | SPRING 2025 | focus 9
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