The Board has found that the Veteran's TMJ disability is not related to service, and denied his claim for service connection. The left arm disability (specifically the left shoulder) remains in dispute.
The deciding factor: The June 2016 VA examiner opined that the current TMJ disability is less likely than not related to a jaw injury during active duty, as there was no documentation of treatment and the Veteran's bruxism and daytime habits are more likely causes. The September 2016 examiner also found the left shoulder disability less likely than not related to an in-service wrestling injury.
- Claimed conditions
- TMJ, left shoulder/arm
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- August 11, 2017
- Citation
- 1732837
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 1732837.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection for TMJ (also claimed as bruxism) has been dismissed because she withdrew her request to continue the appeal.
- Granted
The Board has granted service connection for vertigo as secondary to the Veteran's service-connected TMJ. The effective date will be determined by the AOJ.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeals for TMJ, thoracolumbar spine disorder, left knee disorder, and right knee disorder were dismissed due to untimeliness of the Notice of Disagreement.
- Denied
The Veteran's TDIU claim was denied as her service-connected disabilities did not preclude her from securing or following substantially gainful occupation. The TMJ claim is remanded due to a duty to assist error.
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