I see no down-side to trying Ball Therapy in the right circumstances. There is no anesthetic involved, the appliance costs only a few dollars, the ‘procedure’ is painless and voluntary. So even if Ball Therapy does not work, at least it will do no harm. Also, even if Ball Therapy does not fix the occlusion, at least we now have a dog who has been trained to play with appropriate toys and that can have a life-long benefit. Tips on Implementing Ball Therapy A single tooth in an abnormal position in animals with a normal length of the upper and lower jaws can be considered to be more likely to have a traumatic cause, but even this has not been established. I’m going to be upfront with you. This is basically just an extra-large inflatable exercise ball. The same as the ones used in yoga stretches… Image left lower canine area after surgical removal . Radiograph shows deficit in mandible once tooth no longer present.

Even though persistent deciduous teeth are considered the most important cause of malocclusion, they appear to be more common in certain breeds and could therefore have a genetic association They would run alongside the ball with an open mouth, attempting to bite, push or grip the ball with their teeth. We have not found this technique to be useful when applied to deciduous teeth. If your puppy is at risk of this being a problem with its permanent dentition it may be useful to introduce the concept of ball therapy from a young age. This avoids them needing to go through a training period during the short window we have, when the permanent teeth erupt. In fact, two French Bulldogs from the same litter were the perfect example. One of them loved to push the herding ball around the yard while the other tried to carry it in his mouth a few times before giving up and wandering off. Ball therapy is a treatment used to attempt correct linguoverted mandibular canines (base narrow canines). At its core ball therapy is an orthodontic treatment where the appliance is removable, and fun to play with!

Further Reading

The images below show a lingually displaced left lower canine before treatment and after application of a bite plane. The bite plane remains in the mouth as long as it takes for the power of the bite to tip the lower canine into the normal position by pushing it up the incline. Curettage and lavage of the impingement defects or craters would remove inflammatory tissue and debris and, as long as the cause is removed, defects should heal effectively by sec­ond intention. With large defects, palatal bone exposure and oronasal fistula formation, palatal soft tissue can be mobi­lised to create flaps for surgical correction of the defects. Treatment of wear facets Usually, you will be playing with your balls for dogs outside in all weather conditions, so they need to be able to stand up to the task. Remember that larger dogs are more likely to damage a ball as they have stronger gripping jaws, so they need toys that are made of more durable materials.

It is important to realise and inform the owner that any of our domesticated pets can have very functional dentition after the loss of any tooth or teeth. The Hol-ee Roller is also a treat dispenser of sorts. You can add variety to playtime by stuffing large treats or chews inside. The Tug-n-Toss is tough yet flexible, made for interactive play. Dogs will love that they can carry the handle in their mouths and shake and toss it on their own, while humans will appreciate they can avoid the slobber. The owner needs to encourage play with the ball several times a day (6 - 8) or as often as they will tolerate with a short attention span. The ball should be only at the front of the mouth to go any good. If there are no positive results in six weeks a further veterinary evaluation is advised. These permanent teeth can theoretically be treated by three options. Not all options are available to all cases. These options are described below and are either surgical removal of the lower canines teeth (and possibly incisors also), crown amputation and partial pulpectomy or orthodontics via an inclined bite plane bonded to the upper canines and incisors. The latter option may not be available to all dogs if the diastema (space) between the upper third incisor and canine is too small for the lower canines to move into or if the lower canines are located behind (palatal) to the upper canines.

Small dog breeds from Chihuahuas to Yorkies like to play as much as their large dog counterparts, but their mouths don’t always fit around a classic ball toy. Enter the JW Pet Hol-ee Roller. Made from natural, non-toxic rubber, this unique ball toy is so stretchy, you can play tug with it. Ball Therapy is a great technique for dogs with lingually displaced lower canine teeth and normal or near-normal jaw-length relationships. There are four classes of malocclusions. 1 Class 1 refers to a normal jaw length relationship between the maxilla and mandible, but one or more teeth are malpositioned. Class 2 denotes the mandibular arch occludes caudal to its normal position. Previously called mandibular brachygnathism, its preferred medical term according to the American Veterinary Dental College’s (AVDC’s) nomenclature committee is mandibular distoclusion. The common lay term used to describe this malocclusion is “overbite.” Class 3 malocclusion occurs when the maxillary arch is shorter than the mandibular arch. Previously referred to as maxillary brachygnathism or “underbite,” the preferred medical term for this condition is mandibular mesioclusion. Class 4 malocclusion refers to maxillomandibular asymmetry in either the rostral-caudal, medial-lateral, or dorsal-ventral direction due to asymmetric growth of the right or left maxillary or mandibular arch. A common lay term for a type of Class 4 is “wry bite.” 1 Play ball

Orbee-Tuff balls are waterproof and buoyant and come in a variety of ball shapes for all sports fans. The football toy is especially popular because it’s easy for dogs to grab but stands up to tugging. Plus, Orbee-Tuff balls combine the best of both (dog) worlds: fetch and treats. Ideal for teething puppies, these dental balls have more give, allowing pups to grip and chew without damaging their new teeth as they come in. The advantage of this procedure is that the whole of the root and the majority of the crown remain. The strength and integrity of the lower jaw is not weakened by the procedure and long term results are very good due to the use of Mineral Trioxide Aggregate as a direct pulp dressing.

Do not try ball therapy with deciduous (puppy) teeth. There are two main reasons for this. Puppy teeth are fragile and can easily break. More importantly, the adult canine tooth bud is developing in the jaw medial to the deciduous canine tooth (see radiograph above in the puppy section). If the deciduous crown tips outwards the root will tip inwards. This will push the permanent tooth bud further medial than it already is. When holding any object in the mouth, that object when bitten onto will give some resistance and place a force on the teeth. If we can direct the right force on the developing canines, we can guide them into a more correct position, hopefully preventing their incorrect alignment which causes long term trauma and discomfort. This force can be applied to the mandibular canines when the pup holds an appropriately sized and type of ball in their mouth. The ball arrives deflated, so you have to pump it up to its maximum size. While a foot pump is included in the box, I recommend using an electric air pump instead. You’ll have the ball inflated in half the time. Owners with young puppies identified with this problem at first presentation are advised to have the deciduous lower canines removed as soon as possible. There are three reasons for this:

Dentine exposed in this way should always be sealed with unfilled resin and if the operator is not confident in the use of the material, equipment and technique, odontoplasty should not be attempted and referral or alternative treatment options considered. If you are considering ball therapy ask your vet their opinion and get them to send us images of each side of the closed mouth from the side with mouth closed and lips up. Add a rope, handle, or tail to a dog ball, and what do you get? A projectile! Similar to a handheld ball launcher, this type of toy is ideal for pet parents who want the leverage for a farther throw or want to mix things up with a game of tug-of-war. Orthodontic treatment will also conceal a defect and will not be performed unless the patient is neutered. In addition we have an ethical obligation to inform the Kennel Club of a change in conformation.Reviewers with vision-impaired and senior dogs are especially enthusiastic about these toys since their pups can interact with them easily. By giving your dog a herding ball, you’re letting your dog explore these natural herding instincts – chasing and moving objects, without negatively impacting others. A proprietary glow pigment creates this effect after the ball sits for five minutes under a bright light—the glow can last up to 30 minutes.