The Veteran's TMD and MPD are related to service, but the VA examiners did not adequately address the Veteran's lay statements of onset during service. The Board finds remand necessary for an addendum opinion.
The deciding factor: The VA examiners failed to consider the Veteran's lay statements regarding the onset of symptoms during service and their progression over time.
- Claimed conditions
- TMD, MPD
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- April 21, 2026
- Citation
- A26037147
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 A26037147.
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 Veteran's claims for service connection for TMD, cervical spine disability, and FSAD have been denied.,An earlier effective date prior to August 2, 2022, for the award of service connection for these conditions has also been denied.
- Granted
The Veteran's residual impairments, including TMD and paresthesia of the mandibular area, are causally related to an in-service bilateral sagittal slit osteotomy. Service connection for these residuals is granted.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has found that the Veteran's insomnia is a symptom of his service-connected generalized anxiety disorder and is already contemplated in the rating assigned. The claims for vertigo and TMD are remanded due to duty-to-assist errors.
- Denied
The Veteran's TMD and bruxism are rated at 20 percent since January 29, 2019. The appeal for a higher rating is denied, but an earlier effective date of January 29, 2019, is granted.
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