Skip to main content

N680 Remark Code: Prior Extraction Date Missing

N680 means the dental claim is missing, or has an incomplete or invalid, date for the patient's previous tooth extractions. Plans use that date to apply rules such as missing tooth clauses before paying for prosthetics like bridges, partials, dentures, or implants.

Quick facts

Code
N680 (RARC N680)
Status
Active In use since November 1, 2013.
Code set
Remittance Advice Remark Codes (RARC)
Group codes
  • CO (Contractual Obligation): The claim can't be adjudicated until the date is supplied. The provider is responsible for fixing it, and the patient should not be billed while the issue is open.
Official description
Missing/Incomplete/Invalid date of previous dental extractions.
X12 Remittance Advice Remark Codes, retrieved September 25, 2026
Last verified
against the official X12 list.

What N680 means

When a dental office bills for a fixed bridge, removable partial, complete denture, or implant, the plan wants to know when the teeth being replaced were removed. That date feeds several benefit rules:

  • Missing tooth clauses, which may exclude replacing teeth lost before the patient’s coverage began.
  • Waiting periods for major services.
  • Replacement limits, where a new prosthesis isn’t covered within a set time after a previous one.

N680 tells you the plan couldn’t apply those rules because the extraction date was missing, incomplete, or didn’t make sense. A future date, a date after the prosthesis was placed, or a date that conflicts with the plan’s records would all count as invalid.

Common causes

  • The claim identified missing teeth but left the extraction date blank.
  • Only a year was reported when the plan requires a full date.
  • The teeth were extracted at another office and the date was never recorded.
  • The date conflicts with an extraction the plan paid for, suggesting the wrong tooth number.

How to fix it

  1. Find the extraction date in your records, the patient’s previous dentist’s records, or the plan’s own claim history.
  2. Check the tooth numbers against the extraction record to be sure the date belongs to the right teeth.
  3. Resubmit the claim or a corrected claim with the date, following the plan’s correction process.
  4. Attach support, such as radiographs or prior records, if the plan asks for proof.

How to prevent it

Record extraction dates for every missing tooth in the patient’s chart at the new-patient exam, including those removed elsewhere. Pre-treatment estimates for prosthetic cases are a good time to confirm the plan accepts the date information before work begins.

Codes that may appear with N680

  • CO-16 (Claim/service lacks information or has submission/billing error(s).): The claim lacks information needed for adjudication; N680 identifies the extraction date.
  • CO-252 (An attachment/other documentation is required to adjudicate this claim/service.): Documentation, such as radiographs or records, is needed to confirm the extraction history.
  • N849 (Missing Tooth Clause: Tooth missing prior to the member effective date.): The missing tooth clause was applied because the tooth was missing before coverage began.
  • N37 (Missing/incomplete/invalid tooth number/letter.): The tooth number or letter is missing or invalid.
  • N384 (Records indicate that the referenced body part/tooth has been removed in a previous procedure.): Records show the tooth or body part was already removed in a previous procedure.

N680 FAQ

Why does the plan care when a tooth was extracted?

Many dental plans don't pay to replace teeth that were missing before the patient's coverage started, and some limit how often a prosthesis can be replaced. The extraction date lets the plan apply those rules.

What if the patient doesn't know the date?

Use the best documentation available, such as prior records or radiographs, and follow the plan's instructions for reporting an approximate or unknown date. Don't guess a specific date without support.

Which teeth need an extraction date?

Usually the missing teeth the new prosthesis will replace. Some plans also want dates for other missing teeth in the same arch.