The Veteran's service connection claim for gum disease is denied, but a 10 percent rating is granted for his right shoulder surgical scar.
The deciding factor: The Veteran's gum disease was not considered a compensable disability for VA purposes due to its nature as treatable carious teeth and periodontal disease. The right shoulder surgical scar resulted in pain that did not meet the criteria for higher ratings under specific codes.
- Claimed conditions
- gum disease, right shoulder surgical scar
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 10%
- Decision date
- December 20, 2021
- Citation
- A21020260
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 A21020260.
What this means for you
A grant means the Board agreed the veteran was entitled to the benefit. Decisions like this show the kind of evidence and arguments that tend to succeed for claims like it.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the claims for diabetes, gum disease, hypertension, orthopedic foot disorder, left shoulder disorder, right shoulder disorder, hepatitis C, skin disorder of the feet (claimed as trench foot), and an acquired psychiatric disorder (claimed as depression and anxiety) due to errors in duty to assist.
- Denied
The Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability, including gum disease and loss of teeth, is denied as there is no evidence of in-service trauma or bone disease resulting in compensable dental disability.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the Veteran's claims for service connection due to incomplete development of his records and failure to provide adequate notice and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has dismissed the appeal regarding service connection for teeth grinding due to procedural issues. Service connection is granted for bilateral hearing loss, but the claim must be remanded as there are missing records and the Veteran needs to provide authorization for VA to obtain relevant private dental treatment records.
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.