Tooth Blunting in Dogs, Causes, Signs, and What to Do

It was the small red dots on Winnie's canines that got my attention. Two small marks near the tips of her canines that sent me straight to a veterinary dental specialist — who told me what those dots actually were: near-pulp exposure from rapid, progressive tooth wear. 

Can you guess the culprit? Tennis balls. Yellow, fuzzy bastards.  

Winnie was only a couple of years old, enjoying a healthy amount of fetch each week with her tennis balls, and I thought I was doing everything right. But the fuzz on her tennis balls had been slowly grinding her teeth down like sandpaper, so gradually and consistently that I hadn't even noticed until the damage was more obvious.

Safe to say I got home from the veterinary dental specialist and every tennis ball in the house went in the bin.

That was in 2022. I've barely stopped thinking about it since, because what struck me wasn't just that this had happened to Winnie — it was how completely normal tennis ball use had caused it. No excessive chewing, no obsessive behaviour, no unusual circumstances. Just regular fetch and play around the house.

As well as the fact that tennis balls were so normalised as a dog toy. How did this happen, why were they so commonly used if they were renowned for causing this type of damage so easily?

This blog is everything I wish I'd known before we ever threw that first tennis ball.

What Is Tooth Blunting, and Why Does It Matter?

Tooth blunting — sometimes called tooth attrition — is the gradual wearing down of a dog's tooth surface over time. In healthy teeth, the tips of the canines (the long pointy ones) and the cusps of other teeth are sharp and defined. As blunting progresses, those tips become flattened, shortened, or rounded.

Some degree of wear is natural across a dog's lifetime. That's normal and expected. The problem is when wear happens faster than the tooth can compensate — which is exactly what happens with certain toys, especially tennis balls.

As the outer enamel layer wears away, it exposes the dentin underneath. Dentin is softer than enamel, which means once it's exposed, wear can actually accelerate. Underneath the dentin sits the pulp — the living tissue containing nerves and blood vessels. When wear progresses toward the pulp, you may start to see a small reddish or brownish dot appear at the centre of the tooth. That's not a stain. That's your first visible warning that the pulp is becoming dangerously close to being exposed. This can create pain and sensitivity in your dog, which is extremely difficult to detect.

If pulp exposure occurs, the options are root canal treatment or extraction. Neither is a small procedure.

The challenging part? Dogs are extraordinarily good at masking pain. Even when Winnie had broken a tooth a few years back, she showed no obvious signs of discomfort. I only noticed when I went to brush her teeth one day. She was still fetching, still eating, still completely herself. 

So Why Are Tennis Balls such a Big Problem?

Tennis balls aren't made for dog teeth — they're made for tennis courts and rackets. The fuzzy outer layer is a woven nylon and wool composite, and it's abrasive. Under the pressure of a dog's mouth, that fuzz works like fine sandpaper across the tooth surface, buffing away enamel with every contact.

The American Kennel Club, the Animal Medical Center of New York, and veterinary dental specialists across the board have documented this. Sierra Veterinary Hospital describes it bluntly: "the fuzz on tennis balls acts like sandpaper against your dog's teeth." Animal Dental Services notes that this wear is "cumulative and often irreversible."

What makes it particularly insidious is the gradual nature. This isn't the kind of damage that happens in one session and gives you a clear sign something went wrong. It's slow, progressive, and easy to overlook — until it isn't.

But it’s not just tennis balls…

Any ball that a dog spends a lot of time chewing on can contribute to blunting over time — tennis balls just happen to be one of the worst offenders due to their abrasive fuzz. Rubber balls, while smoother and without that sandpaper surface, can still cause wear if a dog is chewing on them repeatedly or obsessively. That sustained pressure and friction of repetitive chewing can still have a significant cumulative effect on enamel.

The general rule: the firmer and more textured the ball, the higher the risk, and the faster the wear. But softer materials aren't a free pass if a dog is spending hours with any toy in their mouth.

This is why the conversation isn't really about getting rid of every ball — it's about being mindful of how your dog uses them. A dog who fetches and drops is in a very different position to one who carries and mouths their ball constantly between throws, or one that spends hours a day chewing on one at home. Knowing your dog's habits matters as much as knowing what the toy is made of.

Busting the Myths 

Since I started talking about this publicly, I've noticed the same questions and responses come up again and again. 

"It's only a problem when the ball is wet and picks up dirt and sand."

This one is everywhere, and it's understandable — a dirty, gritty ball does make the abrasion worse. But the fuzz itself is abrasive from the start. A clean, dry tennis ball fresh out of the can still has that coarse woven surface that works against tooth enamel under pressure. Dirt and sand do amplify the problem, but they're not the only cause. 

Accumulated dirt and sand increases the abrasive quality — and this goes for every ball.

"My dog isn't an obsessive chewer, so it won't be a problem."

This was exactly my situation with Winnie. She was not an obsessive chewer. We weren't leaving her alone with a tennis ball for hours on end. We were mostly playing fetch — throwing it, she'd retrieve it, we'd repeat. Maybe with some light mouthing here and there. 

Less than two years of that and she had near-pulp exposure on her canines.

The issue isn't just time spent actively chewing. And it doesn't require obsessive behaviour to do real damage — especially when the ball being used is a tennis ball.

"Dogs chew bones — how can a tennis ball be worse?"

This is a fair question, and it's worth explaining properly because it gets at something important: bones and tennis balls cause different kinds of damage through completely different mechanisms.

Bones are hard — sometimes harder than the enamel of your dog's teeth. The risk with bones (particularly large, dense, or cooked bones) is acute fracture. Slab fractures, broken cusps, chipped teeth. This can happen in a single chew session, it's immediately obvious, and it's a dental emergency. It's a high-force, sudden-impact type of injury. We personally love raw meaty bones and give them to our dogs multiple times a week. But choosing the right type of bone to suit your dog is important to reduce risk. We normally opt for softer bones that can be fully consumed, rather than large, weight bearing bones.

Bones are also chewed very differently in terms of where they sit in the mouth. When a dog works on a bone, they naturally position it towards the back — using their carnassial teeth (the large shearing teeth further back in the jaw) to do the heavy work. These teeth are designed for exactly that kind of mechanical pressure. Dogs who regularly spend a lot of time chewing large, hard bones can experience similar attrition wear on those back teeth too. The same principle applies — sustained, repetitive contact against a hard surface will wear enamel down over time, regardless of where in the mouth it's happening. So if your dog is a dedicated bone chewer, it's worth keeping an eye on those carnassial teeth the same way you would the canines of a ball-obsessed dog.

In comparison, damage from ball chewing is caused by gradual attrition — not fracture, but wear. The fuzz sands the tooth surface down slowly, millimetre by millimetre, over many sessions. There's no moment of injury, no obvious incident, nothing to alert you that something is going wrong. That's what makes it particularly hard to catch. When a dog carries, mouths, or fetches a ball, it sits right at the front of the mouth — resting directly against the canines and incisors. 

Both present dental risks. But both can be managed by making better choices and going for the softer versions to reduce damage where possible.

What to Look For: Signs Your Dog's Teeth May Be Blunting

Start taking photos of your dog's teeth. Just a quick picture of their canines and front teeth every few months from a couple of different angles. The gradual nature of blunting makes it nearly impossible to track with memory alone, but it’s more easily detectable when you have side-by-side comparison photos.

Here's what to look for when you're checking:

• Shortened or flattened canine tips. A young dog's canines should have defined, pointed tips. Blunting causes those tips to look shorter, flatter, or more rounded than they should be.
• A reddish, brownish, or dark spot in the centre of a tooth. As the enamel and dentin wear away, the pulp underneath can become visible as a coloured dot. 
• Unusual eating behaviour or reluctance to chew. Dogs mask pain extraordinarily well, so by the time you notice behavioural changes around eating, the issue is usually significant. 
• Unusual playing behaviour. If they have a sudden change in how enthusiastically they engage with toys they used to love, or don’t use their mouth for things they normally use it for, that could be a sign of pain or sensitivity.

If you notice any of these signs, the next step is a vet check — and potentially a referral to a veterinary dental specialist for a proper assessment. Early intervention makes a significant difference in terms of options and outcomes.

Our Farm Dog's Teeth

One of the most compelling things I've seen in our own situation is the contrast between Winnie and our farm dogs. It’s become glaringly obvious the past few years, as many of the dogs are getting older, how much of a difference lifestyle factors such as toy use affect dental health

The farm dogs have never used tennis balls. From the start, they've only ever played with foam toys — mostly our Active Rings, but also Foam Fetch Balls in the past year and a half. These foam toys are softer and more forgiving on teeth, with a non-abrasive surface.

Their canine tips? Fully intact. No blunting visible at all.

Here are some of the ages of the farm dogs and their teeth:

Winnie's teeth, by contrast, showed significant wear after less than two years on tennis balls.

What We Switched To, and Why It's Made Such a Difference

Winnie's teeth were honestly one of the factors that pushed me in the direction of foam when we start developing our own toys. We had a couple of ChuckIt rubber balls, but after talking to the dental specialist, they said they can also cause the wear to continue and foam was our best bet.

Getting the density right mattered too — too soft and it falls apart, too firm and you're back to the same problem. It had to sit in the right place on that spectrum to actually be worth recommending.

Since switching to primarily foam toys since 2022, Winnie's teeth have barely changed. Her wear progression has slowed dramatically.

What we use instead for fetch and ball play are our Active Rings and Foam Fetch Balls. They're made from non-toxic EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) foam, which is resilient, yet soft. It compresses under pressure rather than grinding across the tooth surface.

Our Foam Fetch Balls are specifically suited for dogs who love ball play, whether that be chewing or fetch, but whose owners want to minimise dental wear.

A few other reasons EVA foam works well for us:

• The safety hole. Our Foam Fetch Balls have a hole through the centre. If a ball ever became lodged in a dog's throat, the air hole means airflow isn't completely cut off — a small but meaningful safety consideration.
• No fuzz to trap debris. Unlike tennis balls, there's no outer layer to collect dirt, sand, grass, and grit. The ball can be easily rinsed to clean it and wash off debris.
• Lightweight and grippable. Dogs can carry and hold them comfortably without having to grip tightly or chew to maintain their hold, which reduces the time teeth spend under friction-based pressure.
• Easy transition for ball-obsessed dogs. If your dog is obsessed with balls but you're trying to make a dental-safe swap, foam balls tend to be well-received because the size, shape, and feel are familiar enough to be satisfying.

It's worth being clear: no toy is completely wear-proof when chewed excessively. Any object in a dog's mouth under pressure over time will create friction. The goal isn't to eliminate all contact — it's to reduce unnecessary abrasion from materials that carry a higher risk. EVA foam is a meaningfully gentler option than tennis balls, particularly for dogs who spend a lot of time with balls in their mouths during fetch.

What To Do Right Now

If you've got tennis balls in your home and you're reading this, here's a practical starting point:

• Take a photo of your dog's teeth today. Specifically, their canines. This is your baseline. Date it and save it somewhere you'll find it.
• Check for the warning signs listed above. Look at the tips of the canines — are they pointed and intact, or starting to look flat? Any coloured dots on the tooth surface?
• Consider limiting unsupervised access to tennis balls, especially for dogs who tend to carry or mouth the ball between throws.
• If you're seeing wear or any concerning signs, book a vet check. Ask specifically about their teeth, and mention what toys they've been using. Your vet may refer you to a veterinary dental specialist if the wear looks significant.
• If you want to make a swap, start with the fetch toy. Replacing the tennis ball with a foam alternative for fetch sessions is the easiest place to start — it changes the toy your dog spends the most oral contact time with.
• Remember, blunting cannot be reversed. But while you can’t undo it, you can absolutely prevent it and slow it down — especially if you catch it early, or better yet, before it starts.

We did, and it's worked. Winnie’s teeth have been stable for years now.

As always, you know your dog best. Do your research, and make the best decision for you.

Sources & Further Reading

•  Are Tennis Balls Safe for Dogs? — American Kennel Club: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/advice/are-tennis-balls-safe-for-dogs/
• Tennis Balls and Dog's Teeth: Risks and Safer Alternatives — Animal Dental Services: https://animaldentalservices.net/are-tennis-balls-harmful-to-your-dogs-teeth-understanding-the-risks-and-safer-alternatives/
• The Dangers of Tennis Balls — Sierra Veterinary Hospital: https://sierraveterinary.com/2022/03/29/the-dangers-of-tennis-balls/
• Dogs and Tennis Balls: It's Not Always a Match — Animal Medical Center NY: https://www.amcny.org/blog/2020/08/26/dogs-and-tennis-balls-its-not-always-a-match/
• Worn Teeth in Dogs — PetHealthNetwork: https://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-diseases-conditions-a-z/worn-teeth-dogs
• Disorders of Dental Hard Tissues in Dogs — Today's Veterinary Practice: https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/dentistry/disorders-of-dental-hard-tissues-in-dogs/