The Veteran's dental disabilities, including loss of a portion of the mandible and maxilla, bilateral temporomandibular joint disorders unspecified, and root caries in margin of #7 and #9, are being remanded for further examination to determine if they are at least as likely as not caused or aggravated by his service-connected residuals of dental trauma to tooth #8.
The deciding factor: The VA opinions did not fully address whether all the diagnosed dental disabilities were caused by residuals of dental trauma to tooth #8 and failed to consider the possibility of aggravation.
- Claimed conditions
- loss of a portion of the mandible, loss of any portion of maxilla (for reasons other than periodontal disease or edentulous atrophy), bilateral temporomandibular joint disorders unspecified, joint derangement root caries in margin of #7 and #9
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- February 26, 2026
- Citation
- A26017647
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 A26017647.
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.
- Granted
The Veteran's claims for service connection have been granted, with the exception of a throat disability related to cancer surgery. The evidence is at least in equipoise as to whether his squamous cell carcinoma and other conditions are related to exposure to chemicals at Camp Lejeune.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the Veteran's headaches are at least as likely as not caused by his service-connected traumatic brain injury, and thus grants service connection for this condition.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has remanded the claims for service connection for hypertension and peripheral neuropathy of the bilateral upper and lower extremities due to insufficient medical opinions regarding their etiology.
- Granted
The Veteran's major depressive disorder is found to be caused by his service-connected low back and radiculopathy disabilities, which prevent him from doing enjoyable activities and daily living tasks.
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