The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus and tooth loss and jaw bone loss as secondary to Type II diabetes mellitus. The claim for tinnitus was denied because there is no medical evidence of a nexus between current tinnitus and service, including any in-service noise exposure. The claim for tooth loss and jaw bone loss as secondary to Type II diabetes mellitus also failed due to the lack of medical evidence connecting these conditions to service.
The deciding factor: The July 2004 VA examiner concluded that there is no medical evidence linking current tinnitus or tooth loss and jaw bone loss with service, including any in-service noise exposure. The claim for tinnitus was denied because the first clinical evidence of tinnitus was many years after service discharge, and the only competent opinion on the nexus question did not support a finding of a relationship between current tinnitus and service.
- Claimed conditions
- tinnitus, tooth loss and jaw bone loss
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 16, 2009
- Citation
- 0947531
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 0947531.
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 has remanded the claims for service connection for hearing loss, tinnitus, and an acquired psychiatric disorder due to incomplete medical records and need for further examination.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for tinnitus, arthritis, and memory loss. The decision found no evidence linking these conditions to his military service.
- Granted
The Veteran's tinnitus is granted as service connected. The issues of foot disability and cardiovascular disorder are remanded for additional development.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for tinnitus, finding that it is at least as likely as not that the Veteran experienced tinnitus during his active duty service.
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