K02.7 ICD-10-CM Code: Dental root caries

Coding instructions

Official Tabular Instructional Notes: the inclusion, exclusion and sequencing notes published for K02.7 in the official ICD-10-CM tabular list, quoted as published.

Source: CMS/CDC — ICD-10-CM Tabular ListRelease: FY2026Effective: October 1, 2025

Notes without a marker are published on K02.7 itself; “inherited from” names the category or block whose note applies here.

Indexed Clinical Terms (2)

Official source data — entries quoted as published, in the Index’s own lookup phrasing

Clinical term phrases from the official ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries that map to this code. These are alphabetic-index entries shown as the Index writes them — lookup phrasing, not necessarily the wording of a final diagnosis.

• Caries, dental (dentino enamel junction) (early childhood) (of dentine) (pre-eruptive) (recurrent) (to the pulp), root
• Caries, root (dental) (tooth)

Official Coding Guidelines

No excerpt in the ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines names this code specifically. Its chapter carries only this chapter-wide note:

Don’t confuse K02.7 with…

MedCoder analysis — pairs from this code’s official notes, distinctions written by MedCoder

The codes most likely to be picked instead of K02.7 — named in its own official notes, or sharing its laterality or encounter family — with what separates them and which documentation moves the case. Each links to the full comparison.

• K02.9— Specificity relationship (Review)

  Overlapping diagnoses in the same category.

  Overlapping codes in the same category — the documentation decides which is the more specific fit.

  What moves you there: A record that documents no more than “Dental caries, unspecified” takes K02.9; specificity in the record moves it back here.

  Full comparison: K02.7 vs K02.9 →

Relationships are read from this code's own official notes, its laterality siblings and its encounter family; the wording of each distinction is MedCoder editorial, and the documentation named in each “what moves you there” line is the official note phrase or sibling title itself. Source: CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes; ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines, Section I.A.12.a.

Verify Before Coding

• No Medicare Code Editor or MS-DRG Definitions Manual restrictions apply to this code.

From the code registry, the Medicare Code Editor, and the MS-DRG Definitions Manual. Check it against a full claim in Claim Check.

Relationships & Classification

MedCoder structured relationships — computed from published CMS and AHRQ datasets

Other codes that name K02.7 or its code family, from the CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes. Tabular-note edges are stored at the code family level that carries each note.

Referenced by 1 Excludes2 note: K03 — Other diseases of hard tissues of teeth (via K02.-).

These codes’ tabular lists name this diagnosis as distinct — both may be reported when both are documented.

MS-DRG Grouper Relationships (FY2026)

Potential MS-DRG participation — not a DRG assignment.

FY2026 MS-DRG: not on the CMS CC/MCC list — as a secondary diagnosis this code does not change MS-DRG severity for that release.

Named in the grouper logic of 6 MS-DRGs: DRG 011 (MDC PRE), DRG 012 (MDC PRE), DRG 013 (MDC PRE), DRG 157 (MDC 03), DRG 158 (MDC 03), DRG 159 (MDC 03).

From the CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendices B and C). Actual DRG assignment depends on the complete claim.

Clinical classification (AHRQ CCSR):DIG002 — Disorders of teeth and gingiva (default); DEN001 — Any dental condition including traumatic injury; DEN002 — Nontraumatic dental conditions; DEN003 — Caries, periodontitis, and other preventable dental conditions.

Clinical Classifications Software Refined (CCSR) for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses. Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

Related Codes

Same clinical category (CCSR)

AHRQ's Clinical Classifications Software groups these diagnoses under the same clinical categories (Disorders of teeth and gingiva, Any dental condition including traumatic injury, Nontraumatic dental conditions, Caries, periodontitis, and other preventable dental conditions).

K00.9 — Disorder of tooth development, unspecified, K01.0 — Embedded teeth, K01.1 — Impacted teeth, K02.3 — Arrested dental caries, K02.51 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface limited to enamel, K02.52 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into dentin, K02.53 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into pulp, K02.61 — Dental caries on smooth surface limited to enamel, K02.62 — Dental caries on smooth surface penetrating into dentin, K02.63 — Dental caries on smooth surface penetrating into pulp, K02.9 — Dental caries, unspecified, K03.0 — Excessive attrition of teeth, K03.1 — Abrasion of teeth, K03.2 — Erosion of teeth, K03.3 — Pathological resorption of teeth, K03.4 — Hypercementosis, K03.5 — Ankylosis of teeth, K03.6 — Deposits [accretions] on teeth, K03.7 — Posteruptive color changes of dental hard tissues, K03.81 — Cracked tooth, +613 more

Same Index main term, other category

The ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries files this code under the main term “Caries”; these codes share that main term but sit in a different category of the Tabular List.

A18.01 — Tuberculosis of spine (sacrum), A18.02 — Tuberculous arthritis of other joints (hip), A18.03 — Tuberculosis of other bones (nose), A50.02 — Early congenital syphilitic osteochondropathy (syphilitic, congenital), A52.77 — Syphilis of bone and joint (syphilitic)

Contextual Map

Every relationship of K02.7 in one view: hierarchy, official tabular instructions in both directions, clinical classification, risk adjustment, MS-DRG participation, index terms and change history — each edge carrying the CMS source it derives from.

Run K02.7 with this related code in Claim Check

Hierarchy

• K00-K95 — Chapter 11: Diseases of the Digestive System (K00-K95) (K00-K95)[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K00-K14 — Diseases of oral cavity and salivary glands[Hierarchy]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026

Referenced by Excludes2 notes

• K03 — Other diseases of hard tissues of teeth[Excludes2](via K02.-): “dental caries (K02.-)”— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular instructional notes · icd10cm-fy2026

Clinical classification (CCSR)

• DIG002 — Disorders of teeth and gingiva[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)
• DEN001 — Any dental condition including traumatic injury[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)
• DEN002 — Nontraumatic dental conditions[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)
• DEN003 — Caries, periodontitis, and other preventable dental conditions[CCSR]— AHRQ CCSR for ICD-10-CM Diagnoses (HCUP)

MS-DRG Grouper

• DRG 011 — TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITH MCC[MS-DRG]: “TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITH MCC (MDC PRE)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 012 — TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITH CC[MS-DRG]: “TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITH CC (MDC PRE)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 013 — TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITHOUT CC/MCC[MS-DRG]: “TRACHEOSTOMY FOR FACE, MOUTH AND NECK DIAGNOSES OR LARYNGECTOMY WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC PRE)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 157 — DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITH MCC[MS-DRG]: “DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITH MCC (MDC 03)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 158 — DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITH CC[MS-DRG]: “DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITH CC (MDC 03)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026
• DRG 159 — DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITHOUT CC/MCC[MS-DRG]: “DENTAL AND ORAL DISEASES WITHOUT CC/MCC (MDC 03)”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (Appendix B) · FY2026

MDC crossing

• Pre-MDC[MDC crossing]: “Pre-MDC — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 153 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026
• MDC 03 — Diseases and Disorders of the Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat[MDC crossing]: “Diseases and Disorders of the Ear, Nose, Mouth and Throat — the grouper's crossing between diagnoses and procedures: a principal diagnosis sets the MDC, and same-MDC procedures move the stay to its surgical DRGs. 5,147 same-MDC procedures group here; browse them on the MDC page.”— CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual · FY2026

Index entries

• Caries, dental (dentino enamel junction) (early childhood) (of dentine) (pre-eruptive) (recurrent) (to the pulp), root[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026
• Caries, root (dental) (tooth)[Index term]— CMS ICD-10-CM Index to Diseases and Injuries · icd10cm-fy2026

Nearest codes (11)

• K02 — Dental caries[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.3 — Arrested dental caries[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.5 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.51 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface limited to enamel[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.52 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into dentin[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.53 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into pulp[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.6 — Dental caries on smooth surface[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• K02.61 — Dental caries on smooth surface limited to enamel[Sibling]— CMS ICD-10-CM tabular structure · icd10cm-fy2026
• and 3 more

Change history

• FY2016 — In the code set at ICD-10-CM adoption [Change history]— CMS release files (code change ledger) · icd10cm-fy2016

Sources for this page

Codes, titles, notes, index terms and mappings on this page are transcribed from the datasets below. Relationships MedCoder computed and text MedCoder wrote are labelled where they appear.

Code, title, tabular notes and index terms Official source data

CMS/CDC ICD-10-CM FY2026 tabular list, index and tables, effective October 1, 2025 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Coding guidelines Official source data

ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting (FY2026), quoted by section Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Claim edits Official source data

CMS Definitions of Medicare Code Edits — v43.1 (April 2026) Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Inpatient payment groups Official source data

CMS MS-DRG Definitions Manual (incl. Appendix B diagnosis index, Appendix C CC/MCC list, Appendix E procedure index) and IPPS Final Rule tables — v43 Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Change history and date-of-service validity Official source data

CMS ICD-10-CM release addenda, ingested release by release into the change ledger Release, file and checksum · Publisher’s page

Comparisons, relationships and the contextual map MedCoder structured relationship

Computed by MedCoder from the tabular notes and tables above; every derived relationship is marked as derived where it appears

Summary and FAQ answers MedCoder explanation

Written by MedCoder to explain the sources above: drafted with AI assistance, checked by a person against the release files, and labelled as MedCoder text where it appears. Not official text.

Labels on this page: Official source data · MedCoder structured relationship · MedCoder explanation. How to read the labels · All data sources and release dates

Nearest Codes in This Family

Official ICD-10-CM classifications closest to K02.7 in its code family, with their registry titles.

• K02.3 — Arrested dental caries
• K02.5 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface
• K02.51 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface limited to enamel
• K02.52 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into dentin
• K02.53 — Dental caries on pit and fissure surface penetrating into pulp
• K02.6 — Dental caries on smooth surface
• K02.61 — Dental caries on smooth surface limited to enamel
• K02.62 — Dental caries on smooth surface penetrating into dentin
• K02.63 — Dental caries on smooth surface penetrating into pulp
• K02.9 — Dental caries, unspecified

View all codes in the K02 family