Chinchilla can be very bonding pets

Scientific Name: Chinchilla lanigera
Life Span: Chinchillas typically about 15 years, but 18-22 years is not uncommon.
Size: Body length about 10-14 inches; tail is another 5-6 inches or so. Temperament: With gentle handling from a young age most chinchillas will become quite tame and bond closely with their owners, although sometimes they do not like to be held or cuddled. They are very active and playful. Chinchillas can be kept singly, and usually will do fine as same sex pairs especially if they are litter mates or introduced at a young age.
Habits: Chinchillas are largely nocturnal so will be most active at night. Sometimes they are called crepuscular, meaning their activity peaks at dawn and dusk. In any case, they should be kept in a fairly quiet area during the day. They prefer a consistent routine for handling a feeding times and may be stressed out by changes to their routine. Since they are so active and playful, chinchillas need a roomy cage for exercise as well as daily playtime. Warm temperatures are more of a concern for chinchillas than cool temperatures, so care must be taken that pet chinchllas do not become overheated.
Feeding: Chinchillas require a lot of roughage, and the diet should mainly be made up of a good quality grass hay along with pellets made for chinchillas. Treats should be given in moderation (one teaspoon per day in total). The digestive system of chinchillas is fairly sensitive so any diet changes should be gradual. For more information see Feeding Chinchillas.
Cages: Chinchilla cages must be large, and multi-level cages with platforms, ramps, and perches are ideal.
Dust Bath and Toys: Along with regular access to a dust bath, chinchillas need a variety of toys to keep them busy and active, especially items for chewing to keep the incisor teeth in good condition.
Handling and Taming: You must be gentle and consistent to gain the trust of a chinchilla.

Not all exotics have problems with their teeth but chinchilla teeth can be downright problematic. Chinchillas, like some other exotic pets, have the type of teeth that grow continuously throughout their lives. These teeth may periodically require tooth trims if your chinchilla doesn't wear them down himself.
Hypsodont Dentition
Herbivores such as rabbits, guinea pigs, and chinchillas have long teeth that continously grow, often requiring tooth trims. These teeth are called hypsodontal teeth. Hypsodont teeth have crowns (the part of the teeth you can see) that extend a great length beyond the gums, therefore hypsodontal teeth are unusually long when compared to the teeth of dogs, cats, or humans. The natural grinding action of chewing on toys, hay and other food items, causes the teeth to stay at an ideal length in normal herbivores, but many need to have their teeth manually cut on a regular basis due to a number of health and genetic factors.

Overgrown Teeth

The incisors, or front teeth, of your chinchilla are the easiest to identify when they become overgrown. They will usually grow so long that they begin to curve and stick out between the lips. Once they get too long they can become stuck on things, or worse yet, grow into the gums or roof of your chinchilla's mouth. The molars, or teeth in the back of the mouth, can also reach excessive lengths. Molars are difficult to observe without the use of a speculum to look in the back of the mouth, but chinchillas with overgrown molars will commonly hypersalivate and have difficulty chewing and swallowing.
Incisor Tooth Trims

If done correctly, tooth trims are not painful. There are two common methods used to trim incisors. The first is by using regular dog nail trimmers to cut the teeth like you would a toenail but this method is not the preferred way to trim teeth. There is a high risk of cracking or splitting the teeth because of the force needed to use the clippers. This method can cause pain if the tooth is split up to the nerve or is trimmed too short. The second method is by using a handheld rotary tool, like the Dremel, with a cut-off wheel to slice off the excess tooth. This method does require a bit more skill and sometimes requires anesthesia or sedation to hold a fractious pet still, but it can be easily performed by a trained person. This method causes no trauma to the tooth. The only concerns are for trauma to the gums or lips if the wheel accidentally grazes them, or if the tooth is trimmed too short. Many exotic pet hospitals will perform these tooth trims inexpensively with a technician or a doctor.

Molar Tooth Trims
Trimming molars can be more difficult than trimming incisors. Molars are not as easily identified as being overgrown, so the pet is usually already being seen by a veterinarian by this point. After the veterinarian confirms that the molars are too long, they may be able to trim them with the pet awake using a surgical instrument designed for bone or tooth removal called a rongeur (interestingly enough, the word rongeur is French for rodent) or a tooth specific instrument. If your chinchilla allows them, and the veterinarian can grasp the correct tooth, the overgrown portion is simply snipped off. There is a possibility for trauma, but unlike dog nail clippers, rongeurs are much sharper and don't usually cause any damage. If the trimming is too complex or the pet is too fractious, anesthesia or sedation can be administered to perform the trim. With your chinchilla temporarily incapacitated, the molars can be trimmed and filed down to an appropriate length. This is the ideal method of trimming molars, but owners may have financial constraints that restrict them from anesthetizing or sedating their exotic pets.

Owners of chinchillas and other exotic pets with hypsodontal teeth must be aware of the possible complications regarding their pet's teeth. Without the proper attention, overgrown teeth can cause serious trauma, anorexia, and even death from the inability to chew and swallow. Thankfully the problem of overgrown teeth is easily controlled with regular tooth trims and proper chewing behaviors. But if you need help with your chinchilla's teeth give your local exotics vet a call.