Loss of Soft Palate

DC 9912Dental/Oral38 CFR 4.150, DC 9912

Loss of part or all of the soft palate at the back of the mouth, which affects swallowing and speech by allowing air and food to enter the nasal passages. Rated based on how much it interferes with breathing and speech.

Rating Levels

You have complete or near-complete loss of the soft palate with significant difficulty breathing and unintelligible speech. Air and food regularly pass into the nasal passages.

What the VA looks for

Complete or near-complete loss of soft palate documented
Severe velopharyngeal insufficiency
Unintelligible speech documented on evaluation
Difficulty breathing through the mouth
Chronic nasal regurgitation of food and liquid

Common Pitfalls

⚠Not documenting the degree of nasal air escape during speech.
⚠Not getting a speech-language pathology evaluation to document speech intelligibility.
⚠Not claiming secondary conditions like chronic sinusitis or aspiration risk.
⚠Not connecting to in-service trauma, surgery, or cancer treatment.

Related DBQ Forms

DBQ Dental and Oral Conditions

View evidence checklist →See secondary conditions →

Condition Rating Guides

Understand what the VA looks for at each rating level — loading conditions…