The Board has remanded the claim for service connection of a dental disorder, cracked and chipped teeth as secondary to PTSD due to lack of proper consideration of bruxism (involuntary clenching or grinding of teeth) related to PTSD.
The deciding factor: The VA examiner did not address the private physician's suggestion that the fractured enamel may be due to bruxism (stress-related tooth grinding).
- Claimed conditions
- cracked teeth, chipped teeth
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating
- Not verified here — check the original decision
- Decision date
- August 20, 2019
- Citation
- 19163936
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 2,669 · Granted: 23% (granted or partly granted, in the indexed decisions on this site)
Judge attribution: 2025 complete; earlier years partial.
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. Read the original VA decision (opens in a new tab) using citation 19163936.
What this means for you
A remand sends an issue back for more development, often a new examination or missing records. It does not award the benefit or decide the final outcome. The original decision explains the additional work ordered.
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: Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability was denied as there is no current disability for VA purposes and the evidence does not support a link to service.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claim for service connection for a dental disability, specifically chipped teeth, as it requires VHA to adjudicate eligibility under VA regulations.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability claimed as cracked teeth is remanded due to the lack of private medical records related to his treatment. The Board will attempt to obtain these records and conduct any necessary development before readjudicating the claim.
- Whole decision: Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability, including four cracked teeth sustained during service in Vietnam, is remanded due to the need for a VA examination and determination of eligibility for VA outpatient dental treatment.
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