The Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors, and she is required to undergo VA examinations to determine the nature of her dental conditions and whether they are related to her military service.
The deciding factor: There were procedural issues with the initial review process that need to be corrected before a determination can be made on the merits of the Veteran's claims.
- Claimed conditions
- residuals of cyst removal, removal of teeth, TMJ dysfunction
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- December 29, 2020
- Citation
- A20019315
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 A20019315.
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 removal of teeth, as the evidence did not show a dental condition eligible for VA compensation.
- Denied
The Board denied an effective date earlier than August 29, 2022, for the award of service connection for TMJ dysfunction.
- Granted
The Board granted service connection for TMJ dysfunction and an initial 20 percent rating for right ankle strain, resolving reasonable doubt in the Veteran's favor.
- Dismissed
The appeal was dismissed due to a finding of a duty to assist error related to the claim for service connection for depression, and the claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied.
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