The Veteran's service connection for periodontal disease, tinea pedis (bilateral feet), hammer toes/hallux valgus, left foot, and hammer toes/hallux valgus, right foot was denied. The effective dates for these conditions were set at January 1, 2015.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's periodontal disease is not a compensable disability under VA regulations, and the other conditions did not meet the criteria for higher ratings based on their severity or treatment needs.
- Claimed conditions
- periodontal disease, tinea pedis (bilateral feet), hammer toes/hallux valgus, left foot, hammer toes/hallux valgus, right foot
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- January 14, 2020
- Citation
- 20003173
Veterans Law Judge
Decisions by this judge: 3,217 · Granted: 46% (granted or partly granted, in the vetted 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. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20003173.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's periodontal disease is service-connected for treatment purposes only, given his current 100% schedular evaluation.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection due to insufficient examination and a pre-decisional duty to assist error. A new VA examination is required.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disorder (periodontal disease) as there was no new and relevant evidence received since the June 2019 rating decision to support her claim.
- Granted
The Veteran's service-connected disabilities have caused him to need regular aid and attendance, leading to a grant of SMC based on the need for aid and attendance. The issue of entitlement to SMC at the housebound rate is dismissed as moot.
Free starter guide for your own claim
Reading this because you were denied or under-rated? Get the plain-English next steps — your appeal options, the deadline that protects you, and how appeals like yours turn out. One email, no spam.
We will only use this to send the guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time. We never sell your information.
We are not the VA. Veterans’ Rights is an independent resource built for veterans. We are not the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, not part of the government, and not endorsed by any government agency.
This is general information, not legal advice. For advice about your own situation, talk to a VA-accredited representative — many help for free.