Body system: Dental and Oral ConditionsRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.150
This condition covers the loss of half or less of your maxilla (the upper jaw bone that holds your upper teeth and forms part of your face). The VA rates this based on whether the lost bone can be replaced with a prosthetic device or not. If it can't be replaced, you'll get 40% or 20% depending on severity. If it can be replaced with a prosthetic, you'll get 30% or 0%.
Rating levels
- 40% — You've lost between one-quarter and one-half of your upper jaw bone (maxilla), and doctors cannot fix it with an artificial replacement or dental prosthesis. This significant jaw loss affects your ability to chew, speak clearly, and may cause facial deformity that cannot be corrected with dental devices or implants.
- 30% — You have lost between one-quarter and one-half of your upper jaw bone (maxilla), but the missing portion can be replaced with an artificial device like dentures or other dental prosthetics. This level of jaw loss significantly affects your ability to chew and speak normally, but a prosthetic device can restore much of the function.
- 20% — You have lost a small portion of your upper jaw bone (maxilla) - specifically less than 25 percent of it - and this damage cannot be fixed with dentures, implants, or other artificial replacements. This type of jaw loss typically affects your ability to chew, speak clearly, or wear dental prosthetics properly in that area.
- 0% — You've lost less than 25 percent of your maxilla (upper jaw bone) and the missing portion can be replaced with a dental prosthesis (artificial teeth or dentures). This level of jaw bone loss is considered minor enough that it can be effectively restored with dental appliances, allowing for relatively normal eating and speaking function.