The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for TMJ as there is no competent evidence of a current disability or its onset during service.
The deciding factor: There was no current diagnosis of TMJ in the Veteran's records, and his claims were not supported by medical evidence.
- Claimed conditions
- TMJ
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 4, 2020
- Citation
- 20031263
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 20031263.
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.
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.