What can I claim secondary to periodontitis?
14 conditions in the Repatriation Medical Authority's Statements of Principles list periodontitis as a factor. If DVA has accepted your periodontitis, each of these has a documented pathway to a further claim.
At a glance
- Accepted conditionPeriodontitis
- Conditions it may open14
- SourceRMA SoPs
- Chart Review$600 + GST
How a secondary claim works
Some Statement of Principles factors are not about service at all — they name another condition. Where DVA has already accepted your periodontitis, and another condition's SoP lists periodontitis as a factor, that part of the next claim is already established on your file. How a secondary claim works, in full →
Conditions that list periodontitis as a factor
Quoted from the instrument. A pathway existing is not the same as a claim succeeding — each factor carries thresholds your record has to satisfy.
Ankylosing spondylitis
RH No. 39 of 2021 · BoP No. 40 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical onset of ankylosing spondylitis” [clinical onset] — factor (2): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical worsening of ankylosing spondylitis” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Carotid artery disease
RH No. 54 of 2020 · BoP No. 55 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (16): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical onset of carotid artery disease” [clinical onset] — factor (41): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical worsening of carotid artery disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Cerebrovascular accident (stroke)
RH No. 45 of 2024 · BoP No. 46 of 2024
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (50): “having periodontitis for at least the 2 years before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (36): “having periodontitis for at least the 2 years before clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Dental malocclusion
RH No. 19 of 2019 · BoP No. 20 of 2019
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (8): “having advanced periodontitis involving the affected tooth or teeth at the time of the clinical onset of dental malocclusion” [clinical onset] — factor (17): “having advanced periodontitis involving the affected tooth or teeth at the time of the clinical worsening of dental malocclusion” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (8): “having advanced periodontitis involving the affected tooth or teeth at the time of the clinical onset of dental malocclusion” [clinical onset] — factor (17): “having advanced periodontitis involving the affected tooth or teeth at the time of the clinical worsening of dental malocclusion” [worsening]
Dental pulp and periapical disease
RH No. 99 of 2021 · BoP No. 100 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having periodontitis involving the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of the clinical onset of dental pulp and periapical disease” [clinical onset] — factor (11): “having periodontitis involving the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of the clinical worsening of dental pulp and periapical disease” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having periodontitis involving the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of the clinical onset of dental pulp and periapical disease” [clinical onset] — factor (8): “having periodontitis involving the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of the clinical worsening of dental pulp and periapical disease” [worsening]
Ischaemic heart disease
RH No. 27 of 2025 · BoP No. 28 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (43): “having periodontitis for at least the 5 years before clinical onset or clinical worsening” [onset and worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity, oropharynx and hypopharynx
RH No. 65 of 2021 · BoP No. 66 of 2021
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having periodontitis for at least 5 years within the 20 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity, oropharynx or hypopharynx” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Malignant neoplasm of the prostate
RH No. 3 of 2023 · BoP No. 4 of 2023
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (7): “having periodontitis for at least 5 years within the 20 years before the clinical onset of malignant neoplasm of the prostate” [clinical onset]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease
RH No. 52 of 2020 · BoP No. 53 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (16): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical onset of non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease” [clinical onset] — factor (34): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical worsening of non-aneurysmal aortic atherosclerotic disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Periodontal abscess
RH No. 25 of 2022 · BoP No. 26 of 2022
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having periodontitis at the affected site within the 6 months before the clinical onset of periodontal abscess” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “having periodontitis at the affected site within the 6 months before the clinical worsening of periodontal abscess” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (1): “having periodontitis at the affected site within the 6 months before the clinical onset of periodontal abscess” [clinical onset] — factor (5): “having periodontitis at the affected site within the 6 months before the clinical worsening of periodontal abscess” [worsening]
Peripheral artery disease
RH No. 70 of 2020 · BoP No. 71 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical onset of peripheral artery disease” [clinical onset] — factor (33): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical worsening of peripheral artery disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Renal artery atherosclerotic disease
RH No. 56 of 2020 · BoP No. 57 of 2020
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (15): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical onset of renal artery atherosclerotic disease” [clinical onset] — factor (30): “having periodontitis for at least the two years before the clinical worsening of renal artery atherosclerotic disease” [worsening]
This factor appears in the Reasonable Hypothesis instrument only, which applies to operational service.
Rheumatoid arthritis
RH No. 50 of 2017 · BoP No. 51 of 2017
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (4): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical onset of rheumatoid arthritis” [clinical onset] — factor (12): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical worsening of rheumatoid arthritis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (4): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical onset of rheumatoid arthritis” [clinical onset] — factor (10): “having periodontitis for at least the three months before the clinical worsening of rheumatoid arthritis” [worsening]
Tooth loss
RH No. 29 of 2025 · BoP No. 30 of 2025
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (2): “having periodontitis in the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (2): “having periodontitis in the periodontium supporting the affected tooth at the time of clinical onset” [clinical onset]
Other accepted conditions that also open ankylosing spondylitis
If any of these is also on your file, it reaches some of the same conditions periodontitis does.
What DVA means by periodontitis
A claim is tested against the definition first. If the diagnosis on your file does not meet this wording, the factors below never get reached — so it is worth checking that what your doctor wrote matches what the instrument requires.
Periodontitis, for the purposes of the Statement of Principles, for the purposes of this Statement of Principles, periodontitis: (a) means inflammation of the tissues that support the teeth, with periodontal pocketing and destruction of the periodontal ligament or alveolar bone, leading to progressive attachment loss and tooth loss at diseased sites; and (b) includes: (i) aggressive periodontitis; (ii) chronic periodontitis; (iii) necrotising ulcerative periodontitis; (iv) peri-implantitis; and (v) periodontitis as a manifestation of acquired systemic disease; and (c) excludes: (i) abscess of the periodontium; (ii) acute necrotising ulcerative gingivitis; (iii) chronic apical periodontitis; (iv) maxillary and mandibular osteonecrosis; (v) other combined periodontic-endodontic lesions; and (vi) pericoronitis. (3) While periodontitis attracts ICD-10-AM code K05.3, in applying this Statement of Principles the meaning of periodontitis is that given in subsection (2). (4) For subsection (3), a reference to an ICD-10-AM code is a reference to the code assigned to a particular kind of injury or disease in The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification (ICD-10-AM), Tenth Edi
Aggravation-only factors. In this instrument, subsections 9(17) to 9(34) apply only to material contribution to, or aggravation of, periodontitis where it was already present before or during service. If service caused periodontitis outright, those factors are not available to you.
RH No. 27 of 2022 · BoP No. 28 of 2022 · 34 factors
What could support a claim for periodontitis?
The Statement of Principles for periodontitis names 4 other conditions among its own factors. If any of these is already accepted on your file, it may be the factor that carries a periodontitis claim — quoted here from the instrument.
Gingivitis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (1): “having gingivitis involving the affected region of the periodontium for a continuous period of at least the 6 months before the clinical onset of periodontitis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (17): “having gingivitis involving the affected region of the periodontium for a continuous period of at least the 6 months before the clinical worsening of periodontitis” [worsening]
Diabetes mellitus
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (9): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical onset of periodontitis” [clinical onset]
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (25): “having diabetes mellitus at the time of the clinical worsening of periodontitis” [worsening]
Osteoporosis
Reasonable Hypothesis — factor (33): “having osteoporosis at the time of the clinical worsening of periodontitis” [worsening]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (33): “having osteoporosis at the time of the clinical worsening of periodontitis” [worsening]
Inflammatory bowel disease
Balance of Probabilities — factor (12): “having inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis at the time of the clinical onset of periodontitis” [clinical onset]
Balance of Probabilities — factor (28): “having inflammatory bowel disease or rheumatoid arthritis at the time of the clinical worsening of periodontitis” [worsening]
Reviewed by Dr Thomas Perkins
Founding doctor, Veterans Health Centre · former RAAF aviation medical officer · 13 years working exclusively with ADF members and veterans. Full profile →
Periodontitis accepted?
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