The Board granted an initial disability rating of 20 percent for temporomandibular joint disorder, as the Veteran's condition more nearly approximated an interincisal range between 21 and 29 millimeters.
The deciding factor: The October 2020 VA examiner indicated that pain significantly limited functional ability with repeated use over time, estimating the interincisal distance to be 21-29 mm, which warranted a 20 percent rating under Diagnostic Code 9905.
- Claimed conditions
- temporomandibular joint disorder, unspecified (TMJ)
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- May 30, 2025
- Citation
- A25048088
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.
- Denied
The Board denied service connection for left cervical radiculopathy, bilateral hearing loss, and a compensable rating for Hashimoto thyroiditis. The Veteran's asthma, non-allergic rhinitis, and right shoulder scars were rated as initially granted or denied based on the evidence of record.
- Partly granted
The Board granted service connection for temporomandibular joint disorder and left shoulder sprain, but denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss. The cervical spine condition was remanded.
- Dismissed
The appeal of the proposed rating reduction for service-connected temporomandibular joint disorder is dismissed due to a processing error.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's appeal for a higher disability rating for temporomandibular joint disorder, as the evidence did not support a rating greater than 10 percent.
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