BVA decisions by condition
Teeth loss: BVA grant rates and what wins
From 2017 to 2026, the Board of Veterans' Appeals decided a teeth loss issue in 2,422 decisions. It granted the teeth loss issue in 5.3% of them, below the 19.4% grant rate for all conditions, denied it in 55.9%, and remanded it in 40.0%. Counting only decisions on the merits (granted or denied), 8.6% were granted.
Decisions
2,422
2017–2026
Granted
5.3%
All conditions: 19.4%
Granted on the merits
8.6%
Granted ÷ (granted + denied)
Remanded
40.0%
Denied: 55.9%
Teeth loss outcomes by year
| Year | Issues decided | Granted | Denied | Remanded | Other |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 228 | 3.9% | 51.8% | 39.0% | 5.3% |
| 2018 | 407 | 4.7% | 56.3% | 36.1% | 2.9% |
| 2019 | 339 | 3.2% | 56.0% | 38.6% | 2.1% |
| 2020 | 289 | 2.8% | 52.6% | 42.9% | 1.7% |
| 2021 | 239 | 6.7% | 53.1% | 38.5% | 1.7% |
| 2022 | 255 | 5.9% | 56.9% | 34.9% | 2.4% |
| 2023 | 259 | 5.4% | 45.9% | 48.6% | 0.0% |
| 2024 | 234 | 6.4% | 50.0% | 41.9% | 1.7% |
| 2025 | 245 | 5.7% | 58.0% | 35.5% | 0.8% |
| 2026 | 72 | 9.7% | 52.8% | 36.1% | 1.4% |
Each row counts issues (each condition the Board decided), so the shares add up to 100%. Other: dismissed, withdrawn or no clear outcome. Years with fewer than 50 issues are left out.
Evidence in granted and denied teeth loss decisions
For each kind of supporting evidence: how often the Board granted the teeth loss issue on the merits when the decision mentioned it, compared with decisions that did not. These are associations, not causes, and evidence is recorded per decision, not per issue.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Favorable VA exam | 294 | 25.8% | 5.6% | +20.2 pts |
| Positive nexus opinion | 319 | 23.9% | 5.8% | +18.1 pts |
| Claimed as secondary | 328 | 19.7% | 7.4% | +12.4 pts |
| Private medical opinion | 525 | 12.4% | 7.5% | +4.9 pts |
| Combat service | 153 | 8.3% | 8.7% | −0.3 pts |
| Lay statement | 1,949 | 7.9% | 12.6% | −4.7 pts |
- The Board applied the benefit-of-the-doubt rule (38 CFR 3.102) in 58.6% of the decisions that granted teeth loss.
- The Board found the veteran's statements credible in 29.7% of grants and 13.4% of denials.
Negative evidence in the record
An unfavorable exam or a negative nexus opinion often sits in the same record as favorable evidence, and the Board weighs them against each other. So these rows show how often teeth loss was still granted when the record contained the negative item, not that the item helped.
| In the record | Decisions | Granted when present | When absent | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Negative nexus opinion | 1,042 | 7.5% | 9.7% | −2.2 pts |
| Unfavorable VA exam | 1,578 | 7.8% | 10.9% | −3.0 pts |
Why the Board granted or denied teeth loss
Most common reasons in grants
- Current diagnosis established12
- Caused by the service-connected disability8
- Service connection established4
Most common reasons in denials
- Preponderance of the evidence against the claim98
- No current diagnosis56
- No evidence of loss of substance of maxilla or mandible43
- No loss of substance of maxilla or mandible40
- Criteria for service connection not met38
- Service records negative or silent30
- Current diagnosis established28
- VA examiner: less likely than not related to service23
Numbers are decisions that gave the reason. Reasons are short phrases extracted by AI from each decision; common wordings of the same reason are grouped. Benefit of the doubt is reported above.
Recent teeth loss decisions
Granted
Favorable VA medical opinion; Credible Veteran statements; Camp Lejeune water exposure
VA prescribed anticholinergic medications for overactive bladder; Medications caused severe dry mouth; Dry mouth contributed to tooth decay, fractures, and extractions; Event not reasonably foreseeable by healthcare provider
Competent and credible lay testimony; No contradictory clinical evidence; Benefit of the doubt afforded
Denied
Loss of masticatory surface less than 25 percent and replaceable by prosthesis.; Non-service-connected gum disease and other teeth disabilities contributed to limitations.; Evidence weighs against claim for compensable rating.
No evidence of service-incurred dental trauma.; Periodontal disease and tooth loss likely age-related.; No compensable dental disability shown.
No current diagnosis of loss of teeth due to bone loss; No in-service event causing dental condition; Evidence did not support claim
Rules that apply to teeth loss claims
- 38 CFR 3.303
Principles of service connection
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.310
Secondary service connection and aggravation
Read it in VA Law Explorer - 38 CFR 3.102
Reasonable doubt (benefit of the doubt)
Read it in VA Law Explorer
Research your teeth loss case
Narrow by year, judge, evidence or secondary condition, read the decisions, and export a research memo.
How these numbers are calculated
- Rates count decisions in which the Board decided a teeth loss issue, by the outcome of that issue. Other issues in the same decision can have different outcomes.
- “Granted on the merits” leaves out remands and dismissals. “All conditions” is the grant share across every condition issue in the data.
- The data comes from CaseScribe's AI extraction of public BVA decisions (2017–2026) and can contain errors. It is updated automatically as new decisions are added.