The Puffer Forum

would a vet be able to do it for me a couple times a year?

I doubt it. I wouldn't trust one to do it, few vets know anything about fish, or puffers specifically. There's a sticky at the top of the hospital forum with a link to a website that lists aquatic vets.

Give it a go. Follow the guide and you'll be fine. I have 2 SAP and trim their teeth when they need it. Mine aren't big on snails but eat almost anything else. The first time I trimmed their teeth it was nerve wracking but once you've done it once you'll be fine about doing it again.

If they NEED their teeth trimmed then how do they survive in the wild???

We don't know, but I've seen several recently-caught SAPs in stores that had badly overgrown teeth, so I would imagine that some of them don't.

In the wild they have entire river systems to hunt in. In captivity, they only have however many gallons you give them, and whatever food you provide.

And as Boxermom said, I'm sure many of them simply don't survive.