The Puffer Forum

For those owners who have performed dentistry, do you clip the entire pointed tip, making the whole upper and lower beaks flat?

And when it is clipped entirely, does the beak grow out pointed or flat?

I have never done dentistry before so I have no idea what to expect. Does it really benefit the puffer when it is clipped completely flat?, I mean it is pointed for a reason right? Why mess with that?

I understand some grow so long that they can't open their mouth to eat that is why it is needed, but imagine if someone files your canines flat, wouldn't that throw off the whole mechanism of how you eat your food with your teeth?

So is it better to clip the entire pointed area flat or better to leave a little bit of it? Or it doesn't matter at all? I would think it would,but I might just be over thinking this haha

If you dont have the problem where he cant eat yet just feed him crustaceans and it will work itself out and you will never have to know how to do it. I havent done it and dont want to know how to do it. Good question, i dont have the answer but preventative maintanance is better than corrective maintanance.

Well my Avocado puffer don't have overgrown teeth, its lips could be completely closed when it's not trying to chase me and beg me for food.

But despite not having an overgrown teeth, he still has that sharp pointed beak, I feel like he won't eat the same way once I clip it flat y'know.

Pufferpunk wrote:library/hospital/dentistry/

Right....thanks for the link, I've read it a few times, but it still doesn't answer some of my questions.

"Peel back the net to expose the puffer’s head and teeth. Clip straight across and as short as feasible"~~~~~this is the only quote I found that is related to my questions, but......

Let me rephrase my questions:

Aren't puffers beak pointed on purpose?
Wouldn't messing how it's shaped mess up how they would naturally eat or crunch their food?
Will it grow flat once it has been cut "as short as feasible" or will it grow pointed again?

But I guess it doesn't matter as long as they get to swallow their food. I'm just curious

Tjhey will develop their normal shape after using them again. I posted before/after pics.

Aren't puffers beak pointed on purpose?
Are they pointed on purpose or is that a result of normal wear? I don't think we'll ever answer that question unless a rich curious person is willing to fund a study

Wouldn't messing how it's shaped mess up how they would naturally eat or crunch their food?
It doesn't seem to. I know if I'm trying to crush something I'd want a flat surface, so I'd use a hammer instead of a screwdriver. The goal of their teeth is to crush, not pierce so they may work even better with a flat surface. You have to keep in mind that evolution is far from perfect and it's quite possible that pointed isn't best. The requirements of the teeth are also very different in captivity vs the wild so we need to keep that in mind as well.

Will it grow flat once it has been cut "as short as feasible" or will it grow pointed again?
It will grow out and become pointed again. I believe that the distal edges of the teeth are narrow than the proximal area which makes sense as you'd want the strongest area to be in the centre where there is the most force applied. However, since they don't get as many crunchy foods in captivity the distal portions are worn down/break off before the proximal areas which creates a point.