The veteran's teeth were pulled during service, but the VA Medical Center determined that he did not meet eligibility criteria for outpatient dental treatment due to his failure to apply within one year of leaving service and because his condition was not deemed a compensable disability.
The deciding factor: The veteran failed to submit an application for VA outpatient dental treatment within one year of leaving service, and the evidence does not show that his teeth were pulled due to trauma or disease other than periodontal disease during service.
- Claimed conditions
- missing teeth, nonrestorable teeth, periodontoclasia
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 24, 2002
- Citation
- 0214938
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 0214938.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board denied service connection for missing teeth and remanded the claims for temporomandibular disorder, left knee disability, and back disability due to a need for additional evidence.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental condition, including missing teeth, for compensation purposes due to a lack of evidence demonstrating a current disability that meets the criteria for a compensable dental disability as defined by VA regulations.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for missing teeth, bilateral tendonitis of the hands/fingers, obstructive sleep apnea, and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is being remanded due to a duty to assist error. The Board requires an addendum opinion from an appropriate clinician regarding whether these disabilities are related to service or toxic exposure.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's claim for service connection for missing teeth was dismissed because his appeal did not meet the requirements of the Appeals Modernization Act (AMA).
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