Rating Schedule for Dental and Oral Conditions
This schedule is for physical and mechanical issues of the mouth and teeth. So things such as loss of bone, inability to chew, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Veterans who are service-connected for any dental or oral conditions are entitled to Dental health care through the VA.
Common Secondary Conditions
Here are a list of common secondary issues that are associated with dental and oral conditions:
9900 Bone Infection, Bone death due to radiation, or Bone death (Osteomyelitis, osteoradionecrosis, or osteonecrosis (ONJ))
Constitutional symptoms include:
Draining;
Gums or sockets that don't heal after dental work;
Loose teeth;
Numbness or a heavy feeling in the jaw;
Pain, swelling, redness, other signs of infection in the gums; and
Visible bone in your mouth.
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 10% |
Inactive, following repeated episodes, without evidence of active infection in past 5 years. |
| 20% |
With discharging sinus or other evidence of active infection within the past 5 years. |
| 30% |
With definite layer of new bone growth outside existing bone (involucrum) or dead piece of bone (sequestrum), with or without discharging sinus. |
| 60% |
Frequent episodes, with constitutional symptoms. |
| 100% |
Multiple localization or with long history of intractability and debility, anemia, amyloid liver changes, or other continuous constitutional symptoms. |
Lower Jaw (mandible)
Contains the bottom teeth.
9903 Broken Lower Jaw - Never Heals (Nonunion of Mandible)
NOTE:
This condition MUST be diagnosed via x-ray or other imaging.
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 10% | Ability to chew is moderately affected and there is NO abnormal movement of the jaw. |
| 30% | Ability to chew is severely affected and there is abnormal movement of the jaw. |
9904 Broken Lower Jaw - Healed Improperly (Malunion of Mandible)
Improperly - meaning that the Jaw is disfigured (displacement).
NOTE:
An open bite is when the jaw is shut and either the front or back portions of teeth do NOT touch
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 0% | Jaw is displaced but there is no open bite. |
| 10% | Moderate degree of open bite. |
| 20% | Severe degree of open bite. |
9901/9902 Loss of Lower Jaw (Loss of Mandible)
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 10% | Less than half is gone and a prosthesis can be used AND does NOT effect chewing. |
| 20% | Less than half is gone and a prosthesis CANNOT be used AND does NOT effect chewing. |
| 30% | Half or more is gone and a prosthesis can be used AND does NOT effect chewing. |
| 40% | Half or more is gone and a prosthesis CANNOT be used AND does NOT effect chewing. |
| 50% | Less than half or more is gone and a prosthesis can be used AND does effect chewing. |
| 70% | Less than half or more is gone and a prosthesis CANNOT be used AND does effect chewing. |
| 100% | It's all gone. |
Upper Jaw (Maxilla)
Contains the upper teeth.
9916a Broken Upper Jaw - Never Heals (Nonunion of Maxilla)
NOTE:
This condition MUST be diagnosed via x-ray or other imaging.
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 10% |
Ability to chew is moderately affected AND there is NO abnormal movement of the jaw. |
| 30% |
Ability to chew is severely affected AND there is abnormal movement of the jaw. |
9916b Broken Upper Jaw - Healed Improperly (Malunion of Maxilla)
Improperly - meaning that the Jaw is disfigured (displacement).
NOTE:
An open bite is when the jaw is shut and either the front or back portions of teeth do NOT touch
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 0% | Jaw is displaced but there is no open bite. |
| 10% | Moderate degree of open bite. |
| 30% | Severe degree of open bite. |
9914/9915 Loss of Upper Jaw (Loss of Maxilla)
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| 0% | Less than 25% and can be replaced by prosthesis. |
| 20% | Less than 25% and CANNOT be replaced by prosthesis. |
| 30% | 25-50% loss and can be replaced by prosthesis. |
| 40% | 25-50% loss and CANNOT be replaced by prosthesis. |
| 50% | More than 50% and can be replaced by prosthesis. |
| 100% | More than 50% and CANNOT be replaced by prosthesis. |
9905 Temporomandibular Disorder (TMD, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction, TMJ Syndrome, TMJ)
Pain and reduced movement of the jaw joint and the surrounding muscles.
PYRAMIDING NOTE:
You can only get a SINGLE rating based upon how the condition limits your ability to open your mouth (with or without requiring dietary modifications); OR your ability to move your jaw side-to-side.
NOTES:
To warrant elevation based on mechanically altered foods, the use of texture-modified diets MUST be recorded or verified by a physician.
Mechanically altered foods are defined as altered by blending, chopping, grinding or mashing so that they are easy to chew and swallow. There are four levels of mechanically altered foods:
Semisolid foods;
Soft;
Puree; and
Full liquid.
Opening Mouth
| Rating |
Maximum Mouth Opening |
|---|---|
| 10% | Pain with motion. |
| 10% | 30 to 34 mm. |
| 20% | 30 to 34 mm AND requires soft and semi-solid foods. |
| 20% | 21 to 29 mm. |
| 30% | 30 to 34 mm AND requires full liquid and pureed foods. |
| 30% | 21 to 29mm AND requires soft and semi-solid foods. |
| 30% | 11mm to 20mm. |
| 40% | 21 to 29 mm AND requires full liquid and pureed foods. |
| 40% | 11mm to 20mm AND requires mechanically altered foods. |
| 40% | No more than 10mm. |
| 50% | No more than 10mm AND requires mechanically altered foods. |
Moving Jaw Side-to-side
| Rating |
Movement Side-to-side |
|---|---|
| 10% | Pain with motion. |
| 10% | No more than 4mm. |
Teeth
9913 Loss of Teeth
PYRAMIDING NOTE:
If the Veteran already has a rating for the Upper or Lower jaw (not including TMD) they CANNOT get a rating for loss of teeth.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Missing teeth CAN be service-connected FOR DENTAL CARE if one the following conditions are meet:
Loss of teeth MUST be the result of trauma or disease (besides brief periods of gum disease)! So, loosing them due to old age will NOT count here;
Teeth pulled because of chronic gum disease will be service-connected only if they were extracted after 180 days or more of active service.
Loss of teeth can ONLY be granted for Service-connection for disability compensation IF the lost teeth CANNOT be replaced!
Do NOT submit a claim for lost teeth that CAN be replaced! The proper action is to talk to your VAMC dental clinic and ask them about getting care (stating you meet one of the following criteria). They will then initiate a 'claim' to establish service-connection for dental care. For more information click HERE.
Be advised, teeth that were missing prior to joining the military may NOT be service-connected! No matter what restorative care was provided during service!
NOTES:
*The teeth between the canines (the sharp pointy tooth), to include the canines themselves.
**The teeth behind the canines.
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| CANNOT be rated. | Any missing teeth that CAN be replaced. |
| 10% | All upper AND lower teeth on one side missing. |
| 10% | All upper OR lower anterior* teeth missing. |
| 20% | All upper AND lower anterior teeth missing. |
| 20% | All upper AND lower posterior** teeth missing. |
| 30% | All lower teeth OR all upper teeth missing. |
| 40% | ALL teeth missing. |
Cavities
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Do NOT submit a Disability claim for cavities! The proper action is to talk to your VAMC dental clinic and ask them about getting care (stating you meet one of the following criteria). They will then initiate a 'claim' to establish service-connection for dental care. For more information click HERE.
While the law states you can get service-connection... it isn't actually handled by the VBA. As cavities can NEVER be a service-conditioned for disability compensation.
Teeth with cavities can ONLY be service-connected FOR DENTAL CARE if one the following conditions are meet:
Teeth were NORMAL when entering service and were filled after 180 days of active service; or
Teeth had fillings when entering service and the filling was replaced after 180 days of active service.
Teeth that needed fillings when entering service and were later filled CANNOT be service-connected!
UNLESS, the filling is later replaced after 180 days of active service - then it CAN then be service-connected.
The cavity MUST be exist (unfilled) in order to get service-connection (care)!
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| CANNOT be rated. | Any of the conditions above are meet. |
Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)
IMPORTANT NOTES:
Do NOT submit a claim for bruxism! The proper action is to talk to your VAMC dental clinic and ask them about getting care. They will then initiate a 'claim' to establish service connection for dental care. For more information click HERE.
| Rating |
Description |
|---|---|
| CANNOT be rated. | Teeth ground/cracked. |
9917 Tumors (Benign Neoplasm)
Tumors in and of themselves are NOT compensational.
However, the Veteran can get a rating for how the tumor(s) affect the Veteran or if there were any residuals from their removal such as Scars.
Having Trouble Finding Your Condition?
Click HERE to view the Master Condition List.