M26.34 identifies vertical displacement of a fully erupted tooth or teeth — encompassing extrusion (supraeruption) away from the alveolar bone and infraeruption toward it — classified as a dentofacial anomaly of tooth position.
Verified May 8, 2026 · 5 sources ↓
- Status
- Billable
- Chapter
- 13
- Related CPT
- 14
- Region
- Other
Documentation tips
What should appear in the chart to support M26.34.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in 5 cited references ↓
- Specify the direction of displacement — extrusion/supraeruption (tooth above occlusal plane) or infraeruption (tooth below occlusal plane) — to support medical necessity.
- Identify the specific tooth or teeth involved using universal numbering or FDI notation; vague references to 'a tooth' invite audits.
- Document the clinical consequence, such as occlusal interference, food impaction, or periodontal involvement, to justify active treatment.
- Record radiographic findings (periapical or panoramic) showing the degree of vertical migration and alveolar bone relationship.
- Note whether an opposing tooth is missing, as loss of the antagonist is the most common etiology of supraeruption and strengthens medical necessity documentation.
Related CPT procedures
Procedure codes commonly billed with M26.34. Linking the right diagnosis to the right procedure is what establishes medical necessity.
Source · CMS LCDs · AAOS specialty guidance · claims-pattern analysis
Common coding pitfalls
The recurring mistakes coders make with M26.34 and adjacent codes.
Source · Editorial brief grounded in CDC ICD-10-CM tabular guidance, AAOS coding references, and cited references ↓
- Coding M26.34 for an impacted or embedded tooth — those belong under K01.- and are explicitly excluded from M26.3 via the Excludes2 note.
- Using M26.34 when the displacement is horizontal rather than vertical — horizontal displacement is M26.33; direction must match the clinical documentation.
- Defaulting to the non-billable parent M26.3 instead of the specific billable child code M26.34, which will result in claim rejection or downcoding.
- Omitting a supporting radiographic finding or clinical notation of the direction of displacement, leaving the claim vulnerable to medical necessity denial.
Clinical context
Source · Editorial summary grounded in 5 cited references ↓
M26.34 applies when a fully erupted tooth has migrated vertically out of its normal occlusal plane, either erupting beyond the plane (supraeruption/extrusion) or failing to reach it (infraeruption). Common clinical scenarios include over-eruption of a tooth opposing a missing antagonist, traumatic extrusion following dental injury, or infraeruption associated with ankylosis. This code sits under parent M26.3 (Anomalies of tooth position of fully erupted tooth or teeth) and is used by oral and maxillofacial surgeons, orthodontists, and any provider documenting dentofacial anomalies.
Do not use M26.34 for embedded or impacted teeth — those route to K01.- per the Excludes2 note on M26.3. The Excludes2 designation means a K01.- code can be reported alongside M26.34 if both conditions are genuinely present, but M26.34 itself does not cover teeth that never fully erupted. Similarly, do not confuse vertical displacement with horizontal displacement (M26.33) or rotation (M26.35) — laterality and direction must come from the clinical note.
This code is billable and specific for FY2026 (effective October 1, 2025). It carries no 7th-character extension requirement. When the encounter involves orthodontic or surgical correction of the vertically displaced tooth, M26.34 serves as the supporting diagnosis code linked to the procedure.
Inclusion & exclusion notes
Per the official ICD-10-CM Tabular List.
Source · CDC ICD-10-CM Official Tabular List · 2026
Includes
- Extruded tooth
- Infraeruption of tooth or teeth
- Supraeruption of tooth or teeth
Sibling codes
Other billable codes under M26.3 (laterality / anatomic variants).
Frequently asked questions
Source · Generated from the editorial pipeline, verified against 5 cited references ↓
01What is the difference between supraeruption and extrusion in M26.34?
02Can M26.34 and a K01.- impaction code be reported together?
03Is a 7th-character extension required for M26.34?
04Which code do I use if the tooth's displacement is both vertical and horizontal?
05Does M26.34 require a separate diagnosis for the underlying cause, such as a missing antagonist?
06Is M26.34 appropriate for pediatric patients with primary (deciduous) teeth?
Sources & references
Editorial content was developed using the following public sources. Last verified May 8, 2026.
- 01CDC ICD-10-CM Tabular List 2026 (effective October 1, 2025)
- 02icd10data.comhttps://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/M00-M99/M26-M27/M26-/M26.34
- 03aapc.comhttps://www.aapc.com/codes/icd-10-codes/M26.34
- 04cms.govhttps://www.cms.gov/files/document/fy-2026-icd-10-cm-coding-guidelines.pdf
- 05outsourcestrategies.comhttps://www.outsourcestrategies.com/blog/icd-10-codes-report-different-types-malocclusions/
Mira AI Scribe
The Mira AI Scribe captures the direction of tooth displacement (extrusion vs. infraeruption), the specific tooth identified by number or quadrant, associated radiographic findings (periapical film, panoramic X-ray), presence or absence of an antagonist tooth, and any occlusal or periodontal consequences. Capturing these details prevents downcoding to the non-billable M26.3 and blocks medical necessity denials from missing clinical rationale.
See how Mira captures M26.34 documentation