Have You Heard About "Tennis Ball Mouth?"

I have two labs myself and Im sure all retriever owners know that these dogs love their tennis balls. Fairly recent tests have shown that the abrasive fuzzy texture on the ball is causing wear to the teeth. Especially the fangs which can even become blunt. One will be able to tell if the dog is a tennis ball lover just by looking at their teeth. For the most part though... you don't have to worry. The only issues that could arise are with compulsive dogs that are constantly carrying around and chewing these balls and even then, most wearing rarely causes any health risk. A game of fetch is not going to do any harm and there are much worse things that your dog could be chewing on. When crating you dog, make sure that he does not chew the metal bars because that can really destroy their teeth. I have seen dogs wear their teeth down to the point of removal because of their crate. Tony Woodward from the USA today article on tennis balls says that you shouldn't give your dog "any chew item that you can't bend." Although there may be benefits in tarter control, the risk for tooth damage is high.