How the VA Rates TMJ

The VA rates temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction under Diagnostic Code 9905 (38 CFR §4.150, Schedule of Ratings: Dental and Oral Conditions), “Limited motion of temporomandibular articulation.” The rating is based purely on range of motion: how far you can open your jaw (interincisal range) and move it side to side (lateral excursion).

Diagnostic Code 9905: Rating Criteria

The VA uses whichever measurement (interincisal range or lateral excursion) results in the higher rating. Note that DC 9905 ratings for limited jaw motion are not combined with ratings for loss of the mandible under other dental/oral codes for the same disability picture; a rater applies the single code that best fits the diagnosis.

Evidence: Range-of-Motion Measurements

A dental or oral surgery exam measuring your interincisal opening (in millimeters, from the edge of the upper front teeth to the edge of the lower front teeth at maximum opening) and lateral excursion is the core evidence. Imaging (panoramic X-ray or MRI of the joint) supporting a TMJ diagnosis strengthens the claim but the rating itself turns on the motion measurement, not the imaging.

Nexus: Connecting TMJ to Military Service

What to Expect at Your C&P Exam

2026 Monthly Compensation Amounts

A 10% VA rating for TMJ pays $180.42 per month (2026 rate, veteran alone, no dependents). A 20% rating pays $356.66/month, a 30% rating pays $552.47/month, and a 40% rating pays $795.84/month. See the full 2026 VA compensation rate chart.

Jaw Surgery: Convalescent Ratings While You Heal

A TMJ diagnosis sometimes leads to surgery — arthrocentesis, arthroscopy, or open joint reconstruction — when conservative treatment (splints, physical therapy, medication) does not resolve the dysfunction. Surgery does not just change your permanent DC 9905 rating once your jaw heals; it can also entitle you to a separate, temporary convalescent rating under 38 CFR §4.30 for the recovery period itself.

A convalescent rating pays at the 100% rate for a set period following surgery — regardless of your permanent jaw rating — when the surgery required at least a month of convalescence, immobilization of the jaw (such as being wired shut or on a liquid/soft diet), or house confinement while you recover. This is filed as its own claim tied to the surgery date, separate from (and on top of) whatever your interincisal-range rating works out to once healing is complete and your jaw is re-measured.

Dry Mouth (Xerostomia) as a Related Oral-Health Claim

Xerostomia — chronic dry mouth from reduced salivary flow — often travels alongside TMJ and other service-connected oral conditions, and veterans sometimes ask whether it can be rated on its own. The VA schedule does not have a rating code written specifically for "dry mouth" as a diagnosis; instead, a rater evaluates xerostomia by the functional oral impairment it causes — difficulty chewing, speaking, or swallowing, and its downstream effect on dental health such as accelerated tooth decay — using the dental and oral conditions schedule under 38 CFR §4.150 as the closest analogous criteria to the severity shown.

Xerostomia is most often claimed as secondary to a condition or treatment already service-connected: radiation therapy to the head or neck, Sjögren's syndrome, or medications prescribed for a service-connected condition (many antidepressants, blood pressure medications, and pain medications reduce saliva production as a side effect). A dental exam documenting reduced salivary flow, combined with a nexus letter connecting it to the underlying service-connected cause, is the evidence that supports the claim. See the VA's own VA dental benefits guide for how dental and oral claims are evaluated alongside conditions like TMJ.

Use our VA disability rating calculator to see how TMJ interacts with your other conditions, or browse every rated condition at VA disability.