ICD 9 Codes for Tongue Thrust

Question

Answer

I have searched several on-line ICD-9 reference sites, as well as the ICD-9 book. These are just a few of the codes, for use by a speech-language pathologist and certified orofacial myologist, which I find to be appropriate for patients with tongue thrusting behaviors. This certainly is not a complete listing and I certainly would be open to other possible billing codes. I am not an insurance specialist, so providers may wish to check with carriers to determine the best codes to use.

524.50 Dentofacial Functional Abnormality, Unspecified

524.59 Other Dentofacial Functional Abnormalities
Abnormal swallowing; Mouth breathing; Sleep postures; Tongue, lip, or finger habits

524.27 Anomalies Of Dental Arch Relationship, Reverse Articulation
Anterior articulation; Posterior articulation; Crossbite

315.39 Other Developmental Speech Disorder
Developmental articulation disorder; Dyslalia; Phonological disorder
(My office has found difficulties with reimbursement with this code, but I thought I would include it just for reference)

784.5 Other Speech Disturbance
Dysarthria; Dysphasia; Slurred speech

750.0 Tongue Tie
Ankyloglossia

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Marsha Lee-White, MA, CCC-SLP is a speech-language pathologist at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, providing services at the Outpatient Mason satellite. She is a certified orofacial myologist through the International Association of Orofacial Myology, and a certified member of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA). She has been providing clinical services to patients with orofacial myofunctional disorders/tongue thrust for approximately 15 years and has presented at the local and state level on this topic.