Injury to muscles of the face that may affect chewing or appearance.
Because this condition is rated by reference to other diagnostic codes, the evidence that helps most depends on which aspect of the injury is being evaluated. For a seventh cranial nerve rating, medical records documenting facial nerve function, clinical exam findings such as facial weakness, drooping, or paralysis, and nerve conduction or electromyography test results are relevant. For a disfiguring scar rating, photographs and clinical descriptions of the scar's appearance and location matter.
For the 10% minimum, the key showing is that the injury interferes to any extent with mastication, meaning chewing. Medical records noting pain, limited jaw movement, or difficulty chewing, along with a VA or private physician's exam documenting those findings, support this threshold. Your own written statement describing how chewing is affected in daily life, such as needing to avoid certain foods or experiencing pain while eating, can also help establish that the minimum criteria are met.
Conditions that are often caused or made worse by this one. If you have any of these, they may be claimable as secondary service connection.
