Body system: Dental and Oral ConditionsRegulation: 38 CFR § 4.150
This rating covers problems with your maxilla (upper jaw bone) that didn't heal properly after a fracture or injury, called malunion or nonunion. The VA rates this condition based on how much your bite is affected - from 0% for mild bite problems up to 30% for severe open bite issues where your teeth don't meet properly when you close your mouth. The more your bite is displaced and affecting your ability to chew normally, the higher your rating will be.
Rating levels
- 30% — Your upper jaw bone (maxilla) has healed incorrectly after a fracture and now moves abnormally when it shouldn't. "False motion" means parts of your jaw bone move independently or wobble when you chew, speak, or touch the area, creating an unstable and painful condition that interferes with normal jaw function.
- 10% — Your upper jaw bone (maxilla) healed incorrectly after a break or fracture, but the bone pieces are stable and don't move abnormally when you chew, talk, or apply pressure. The malformed healing may cause some facial deformity or functional problems, but there's no looseness or shifting of the bone fragments.
- 30% — A broken maxilla (upper jaw bone) that has healed improperly or hasn't healed at all, where the bone pieces have shifted out of their normal position. This misalignment creates a severe gap between your upper and lower teeth when you try to bite down, either at the front of your mouth or toward the back, making it very difficult to chew food properly.
- 10% — Your upper jaw bone (maxilla) broke and healed improperly or didn't heal at all, causing the bone pieces to shift out of their normal position. This misalignment creates a noticeable gap between your upper and lower teeth when you try to bite down, either at the front of your mouth or toward the back, making it difficult to chew food properly.
- 0% — Your upper jaw bone (maxilla) didn't heal properly after a break or fracture, and the bone pieces are out of their normal position. This causes a mild open bite, meaning your front teeth or back teeth don't come together properly when you close your mouth, leaving a small gap between your upper and lower teeth.