The Board remands the Veteran's claim for service connection for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) to obtain a new medical opinion that addresses his reports of in-service bruxism and clenching of the teeth, as well as a potential relationship between TMD and his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder with major depressive disorder and PTSD.
The deciding factor: The May 2018 VA examination is insufficient to accurately determine whether there is a nexus between the Veteran's active service and his current TMD diagnosis because it focused solely on an in-service diagnosis of TMD, without considering reports of in-service bruxism and clenching of the teeth.
- Claimed conditions
- temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- October 1, 2021
- Citation
- 21061393
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 an effective date prior to February 7, 2023, for the award of a 50 percent rating for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) because it was not factually ascertainable that the Veteran's TMD disability increased in severity so as to warrant a 50 percent rating within the year prior to receipt of his February 7, 2023, Fully Developed Claim.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an initial rating in excess of 30 percent for his service-connected temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) based on the interincisal range of motion and dietary restrictions.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for an earlier effective date prior to September 3, 2021, for the grant of service connection for temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD).
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claim for service connection for a dental disability for compensation purposes, including temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD), as there was no evidence of a current diagnosis of a dental disability subject to service connection for compensation purposes.
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