Body system: Dental and Oral ConditionsRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.150
Malunion of the mandible means your jawbone didn't heal properly after a fracture or break, leaving it in a misaligned position. The VA rates this condition based on how much the misalignment affects your bite - specifically whether it causes an 'open bite' where your front or back teeth don't meet properly when you close your mouth. You can receive 0%, 10%, or 20% depending on the severity of your bite problems, with higher ratings for more severe bite displacement.
Rating levels
- 20% — Your jaw bone (mandible) healed improperly after a fracture, causing your upper and lower teeth to not meet correctly when you bite down. This creates a severe gap either at the front of your mouth (you can't bite through paper with your front teeth) or at the back (your back teeth don't touch when you close your mouth normally).
- 10% — Your jaw bone didn't heal properly after a fracture or injury, causing your upper and lower teeth to not line up correctly when you bite down. This creates a noticeable gap between your front teeth or back teeth (open bite) that makes it difficult to bite or chew food normally.
- 0% — Your jawbone healed improperly after a break or fracture, causing it to be positioned differently than it should be. However, this misalignment doesn't prevent your front teeth from meeting properly when you bite down (no anterior open bite) and doesn't cause a gap between your back teeth when you close your mouth (no posterior open bite).