The Board has determined that further development is necessary regarding the Veteran's claim of service connection for dental and tooth problems, including teeth grinding, jaw pain, chipped teeth, missing fillings, root canal, and a cracked bridge. The case is therefore REMANDED for an examination to determine the nature and etiology of his dental and tooth problems.
The deciding factor: The Veteran asserts that his dental and tooth problems are caused by service-connected PTSD, including teeth grinding and jaw pain. Further private medical records indicate he suffers from these conditions. Therefore, a VA examination is necessary to address the relationship between his dental issues and service or service-connected conditions.
- Claimed conditions
- teeth grinding, jaw pain, chipped teeth, missing fillings, root canal, cracked bridge
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- May 21, 2020
- Citation
- 20035615
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 20035615.
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 anxiety, depression, teeth grinding, residuals of TBI, sleep disability, breathing disability, and IBS as there was no evidence showing these conditions were incurred or aggravated by military service.
- Dismissed
The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection and initial rating for various conditions as the Veteran withdrew his appeal prior to a decision being made.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded multiple service connection claims due to pre-decisional duty to assist errors, including failure to notify the appellant of scheduled VA examinations.
- Granted
The Veteran's service connection for residuals of an orthognathic surgery with jaw pain is granted. From June 1, 2012 to October 6, 2019, a 20 percent rating for her lower back condition is granted. The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for left and right lower extremity radiculopathy are denied from October 7, 2019.
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