Dental and Oral Conditions§ 4.150Updated
Rating criteria

VA Diagnostic Code 9918Neoplasm, hard and soft tissue, malignant

A single 100% rating under § 4.150. Here is what the VA requires for it.

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  1. 100%

    Neoplasm, hard and soft tissue, malignant

From the schedule

Notes on this code

These notes are part of the regulation. They change how the levels above are applied.

  • Note (1): For VA compensation purposes, diagnostic imaging studies include, but are not limited to, conventional radiography (X-ray), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), radionuclide bone scanning, or ultrasonography
  • Note (2): Separately evaluate loss of vocal articulation, loss of smell, loss of taste, neurological impairment, respiratory dysfunction, and other impairments under the appropriate diagnostic code and combine under § 4.25 for each separately rated condition
  • Note: A rating of 100 percent shall continue beyond the cessation of any surgical, radiation, antineoplastic chemotherapy or other therapeutic procedure. Six months after discontinuance of such treatment, the appropriate disability rating shall be determined by mandatory VA examination. Any change in evaluation based upon that or any subsequent examination shall be subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e) of this chapter. If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, rate on residuals such as loss of supporting structures (bone or teeth) and/or functional impairment due to scarring

Malignant Hard and Soft Tissue Neoplasm (Diagnostic Code 9918)

Dental and Oral Conditions — 38 CFR § 4.150

Understanding This Condition

A malignant neoplasm of the hard and soft tissue is a cancerous growth affecting the tissues of the oral and dental region. Under the VA rating schedule, this condition is addressed in the section covering Dental and Oral Conditions (§ 4.150).

Available Rating Level

The VA assigns a single rating level for this condition:

RatingCriteria
100%Neoplasm, hard and soft tissue, malignant

How the VA Continues and Reevaluates This Rating

According to the rating notes, a 100 percent rating continues beyond the cessation of any surgical, radiation, antineoplastic chemotherapy, or other therapeutic procedure.

  • Six months after treatment ends, a mandatory VA examination is required to determine the appropriate disability rating going forward.
  • Any change in evaluation based on that examination (or any later examination) is subject to the provisions of § 3.105(e).
  • If there has been no local recurrence or metastasis, the condition is then rated on residuals — such as loss of supporting structures (bone or teeth) and/or functional impairment due to scarring.

What the VA Looks For

Diagnostic imaging: For VA compensation purposes, diagnostic imaging studies may include, but are not limited to:

  • Conventional radiography (X-ray)
  • Computed tomography (CT)
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
  • Positron emission tomography (PET)
  • Radionuclide bone scanning
  • Ultrasonography

Separate evaluation of related impairments: The VA separately evaluates certain related impairments under the appropriate diagnostic code and combines them under § 4.25 for each separately rated condition. These may include:

  • Loss of vocal articulation
  • Loss of smell
  • Loss of taste
  • Neurological impairment
  • Respiratory dysfunction
  • Other impairments

This information is drawn directly from the VA rating schedule under 38 CFR § 4.150 and is provided for general educational purposes.

These criteria are a rendering of § 4.150, diagnostic code 9918. The official version is the one that governs your rating.

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What next

How to claim this

Knowing the criteria is the first half. Getting your file to show them is the second.

  1. Find your level in the stack

    Read each rung against what your medical records already say. The level your records document today is the one the VA can support today.

  2. Name the gap

    Look at the rung above yours and write down exactly what it asks for that your file does not show yet — a diagnosis, a measurement, a prescribed brace, a doctor’s opinion linking it to service.

  3. Claim it by code

    File under diagnostic code 9918 and attach the evidence for the level you are asking for. Other Dental and Oral Conditions codes may cover your secondary conditions.

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