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.
The deciding factor: The decision on service connection for teeth grinding was dismissed due to a procedural error in submitting an HLR request while an appeal was pending. The hearing loss claim is granted based on evidence of noise exposure during service, but the remand is necessary as there are missing VA and private dental treatment records that need to be obtained.
- Claimed conditions
- bilateral hearing loss, gum disease, maxillary lateral exostosis and periapical abscess with sinus
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017382
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 A26017382.
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.
- Dismissed
The Veteran's appeal for service connection of bilateral hearing loss and a ruptured right ear drum was dismissed due to the death of the Veteran.
- Denied
The Board found that the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss was noted upon entry into active duty service and did not increase in severity during service. Therefore, it denied his claim for service connection.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for bilateral hearing loss, migraine headaches, and PTSD due to additional development of records and examination.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided to remand the case due to insufficient evidence regarding the Veteran's bilateral hearing loss claim, specifically needing an addendum opinion from a VA examiner. The Veteran will be asked to provide any missing records and former employers' information.
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