The Board found no evidence of receding gums during service and concluded that the condition is not related to active duty. The veteran's current condition is attributed to prior orthodontic treatment.
The deciding factor: The VA dental examination determined that the gingival recession was due to pre-service orthodontic treatment, not service itself.
- Claimed conditions
- receding gums
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- September 16, 2003
- Citation
- 0324176
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. Search VA.gov for the original decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 0324176.
What this means for you
A final Board denial may be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, generally within 120 days of the Board mailing date. A Supplemental Claim with new and relevant evidence is a separate option. Another Higher-Level Review of the Board decision is not available. Check your own notice: this historical decision does not set your deadline.
What you can do next
Use your own notice and decision stage. A remanded issue is not a final court-appealable denial. VA review guidance and CAVC filing instructions (U.S. federal; reviewed October 7, 2026).
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Veteran's sleep disorder, diagnosed as insomnia and unspecified sleep disorder, is granted service connection. The claim for dental treatment eligibility is dismissed.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for receding gums was denied because there is no evidence of a diagnosed dental condition that began during service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are not supported by the evidence and have been denied. The case is being remanded to obtain additional development regarding her cervical spine disability, infertility issues, and asthma.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's squamous cell carcinoma of the tonsils is granted. The claims for service connection for secondary conditions are remanded due to a lack of medical opinion.
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