Rats teeth

Question
Hello,

I have a unaltered male who should be about 4 months old, obtained from a pet store. I use linens for bedding in his wire cage, and he eats Kaytee Fort-Diet pellets on a free-feeding basis (meaning I don't limit him since his weight is fine). He often spends time with me by running around on me, as he is right now.
He has been to the veterinarian a few times (for medication against mites), but not within the last two months. I am currently concerned about his teeth, which I know he has a habit of letting get long. The last time this happened he started chewing his "chew log" and his teeth (the bottom set especially) went down to a more appropriate size. At this time I believe his teeth are again getting long, though it seems he is still eating and bruxing normally. My concern is that I noticed his bottom two foremost teeth appear not only long, but slightly loose. I've noticed they will change position from being wide-set (having a larger gap between them at the top) to being closer together (the gap at the top no longer looks like a "v").
I want to know if this "looseness" is normal in a rat his age, and if not, what I should do about it. My only thought is that his teeth are simply too long and I might need to get them trimmed, but I am worried that this could damage his mouth further. The veterinarian in my area has admitted to not being an "expert" when it comes to rats, though she has treated him, so I am seeking a source with more knowledge.

Thank you for your time.

Answer
Yes, the looseness is normal. Rat teeth move! Freaked me out the first time I saw it myself; but I had a vet confirm it. This is normal, don't worry about it, and don't bug it. Also, if he's doing a decent job of maintaining the length himself, don't have the vet trim them. Once the vet begins to maintain teeth length, the rat is unable to himself, and it spirals into a never-ending process.

Wonderful for you to do your homework on it! Good luck with your rattie boy :)