The Veteran's claim for an effective date prior to January 10, 2017 for the award of a 40 percent rating for temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism is denied. The Board found that it was not factually ascertainable that an increase occurred within the year prior to January 10, 2017.
The deciding factor: The medical evidence did not show any complaints or treatment for the temporomandibular joint disorder during the period before January 10, 2017. The earliest indication of a 40 percent rating was in an August 2017 VA examination.
- Claimed conditions
- temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 40%
- Decision date
- April 28, 2023
- Citation
- 23024694
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 23024694.
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.
- Partly granted
The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for tinnitus was denied, while the claim for an initial 10 percent rating for temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism was granted. The decision is mixed as one issue (tinnitus) was denied and another (temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism) was granted.
- Dismissed
Your claim for service connection for temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism has already been granted, and the appeal is dismissed as moot.
- Granted
The Board granted a disability evaluation of 30 percent for temporomandibular joint disorder with bruxism and loss of all upper teeth due to bruxism.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for an earlier effective date for TDIU and basic eligibility to Dependents' Educational Assistance, finding that there was no formal claim or intent to file a claim for these benefits prior to August 1, 2020.
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