My 7 yr old ferret is obsessively chewing her toys

Question

Cecilia and her babies   Hi,
My ferret Cecilia is 7+ yrs old.  She is slowing down a little but still active and curious and in pretty good health.  She lived her entire life with her 2 brothers who have both passed away now and a collection of "babies" (little stuffed animals) she's obsessed over, carried around and hidden for years.  She's been our "only child" for about 7 months now.  Although I'm sure she misses her brothers, she was always sort of a loner, playing by herself and with her many "babies."  While she would chew them sometimes, recently she started chewing them constantly.  I always take any beans out ahead of time and I will take them away once the fabric starts ripping off to be safe, but I'm worried this behavior means something more.  In the picture I've included you can see the stuffing coming out of some...she doesnt chew the stuffing though, its the actual fabric she likes to chew once its all flat. She seems really happy when she's chewing, like it makes her teeth feel good or something. I've also noticed she rubs her neck and head on the floor more than before.  I don't think its a boredom thing, as I give her plenty of attention and out-of-cage time...but even out of the cage she goes right to chewing her "babies!"  Any ideas what could be causing this behavior??  Thanks in advance!!

Answer
This could be completely normal for her or it could be a tooth problem or even a stomach issue like an ulcer.  I have seen a number of ferrets chew like this with a medical problem, especially since you provide enrichment for her.  It is certainly something that needs to be taken care of as it can cause major tooth problems for her.