The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disorder, claimed as secondary to his service-connected esophageal carcinoma of the epiglottis, is denied because he does not have a current dental disability for which VA compensation benefits can be awarded.
The deciding factor: The Veteran does not have a current dental disability for purposes of VA compensation due to missing teeth that are replaceable and not compensable disabilities under VA regulations.
- Claimed conditions
- esophageal carcinoma, missing teeth
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- July 10, 2015
- Citation
- 1529690
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 1529690.
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: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental condition, including tooth loss due to injury, is being remanded as the VA examination scheduled in March 2025 was not conducted due to the Veteran's failure to appear. The Board finds that the Veteran should be rescheduled for a new VA examination.
- Whole decision: Denied
The Veteran's service connection claim for a dental disorder, including missing teeth due to jaw surgery during service, was denied as the evidence did not support a finding of service trauma or malpractice.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's dental disability, including caries, missing teeth, and TMD/bruxism, is related to his active service. The Board has remanded the case for further examination and opinion regarding the etiology of these disabilities.
- Whole decision: Granted
The Board granted service connection for Barrett's esophagitis, GERD, and esophageal carcinoma based on the Veteran's exposure to herbicides during active service in Vietnam.
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