The Board has denied service connection for residuals of dental surgery and remanded the issue of service connection for a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure. The case is now pending with instructions for additional examination.
The deciding factor: The January 2019 VA examination did not provide an etiological opinion regarding the respiratory disorders identified from July 2009 to present, as requested in the April 2018 Remand.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of dental surgery, a respiratory disorder due to asbestos exposure
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 12, 2019
- Citation
- 19193043
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 19193043.
What this means for you
A remand is not a loss. The Board sent the case back for more development — often a new exam or missing records — before making a final decision. Many remands later end in a grant, and the decision spells out exactly what the Board wanted to see.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for residuals of dental surgery as the evidence did not support a finding that the Veteran's current condition was related to his military service.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that additional development is necessary to comply with VA's duty to assist before a final adjudication of the Veteran's claims can be accomplished. The Veteran’s service treatment records show treatment and diagnoses for some of the claimed conditions, but there are still relevant medical records, including VA treatment records, that are potentially available.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for the veteran's claimed disabilities, including a right knee disability, low back disability, tinnitus, and right shoulder disability. The decision also addressed other issues such as dental surgery residuals and left foot fungus.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for obstructive sleep apnea, effective from the date of the February 2025 rating decision.
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