A Guide to Pet Dental Insurance (2024)
Pet dental insurance covers common issues such as tooth extractions, treatment for gingivitis, and root canals but typically won’t cover preventive care such as cleanings.
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Written byJessica Martel
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Jessica is a freelance writer, professional researcher, and mother of two rambunctious little boys. She specializes in personal finance, women and money, and financial literacy. Jessica is fascinated by the psychology of money and what drives people to make important financial decisions. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Cognitive Research Psychology.
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Edited byAshley Cox
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7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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Updated August 6, 2024
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Table of contents
If your pet has bad breath, difficulty eating, or a loss of appetite, these could indicate possible dental issues.[1] Dental care is an important part of your pet’s overall health and well-being. Dental issues can become more serious and cause more expensive health problems if you don’t address them.
Pet dental insurance can cover common issues such as tooth extractions, treatment for gingivitis, and root canals. Add-on wellness plans are also typically available to help cover routine cleanings.
Here’s what you need to know about pet dental insurance and what to keep in mind when comparing quotes.
Quick Facts
On average, pet dental care costs about $500 annually.[2]
Some pet dental insurance plans provide comprehensive coverage for dental accidents and illnesses.
Standard pet insurance typically won’t cover dental cleanings, extractions, or any pre-existing dental conditions.
What pet dental insurance covers
Dental coverage can vary widely among pet insurance companies. Some pet insurers offer extensive coverage for incidents like a chipped tooth and illnesses like gingivitis.
Common dental issues that pet dental insurance covers include:
Broken or fractured tooth
Gingivitis
Periodontal disease
Tooth extractions
Root canals
Many pet insurance companies offer wellness plans as an add-on to a base insurance plan. Wellness add-ons often cover routine dental care, such as regular cleanings.
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See Next: How Does Pet Insurance Work?
Common dental diseases in pets
Dental disease, also known as periodontal disease, is one of the most common medical conditions, affecting more than 80% of dogs and more than 50% of cats older than 3 years.[3] Periodontal disease can occur when a bacterial infection causes inflammation of the tissue and bone around the teeth.[1]
Other issues that have a higher likelihood of occurring include gingivitis, which is inflammation of the gums, and abscessed or infected teeth.
The table below provides cost estimates for treating dental illnesses and injuries.
Issue ▲▼ | Average Cost of Dental Treatment ▲▼ |
|---|---|
| Abscesses or infected teeth | $200–$500 |
| Fractured jaw | $1,000–$3,000 |
| Fractured tooth | $200–$1,000 |
| Gingivitis | $300–$770 |
| Periodontal disease | $400–$1,050 |
| Root canal | $1,500–$6,000 |
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What pet dental insurance doesn’t cover
Most pet dental insurance policies don’t cover the following:
Routine dental care: This includes regular dental cleanings for your pet’s teeth. If you want coverage for routine care, many pet insurance companies offer wellness plans that you can buy as an add-on to your pet insurance policy.
Cosmetic procedures: This includes orthodontic treatments such as caps, implants, or filings.
Pre-existing conditions: This includes any dental diseases that presented before your pet’s policy came into effect.
Best pet dental insurance
Many of the best pet insurance companies cover dental care, including ASPCA, Embrace, and Healthy Paws. Here’s what you need to know about their pet dental coverage.
ASPCA
ASPCA Pet Insurance has three health insurance plans which offer different dental insurance coverages.
Complete Coverage: This includes accident and illness coverage that includes dental illness treatments, such as:
Cancerous oral growths and tumors
Gingivitis
Periodontal disease
Prescription medicine
Scans
Stomatitis
Teeth cleanings when they’re prescribed to treat a dental illness or disease
Tooth abscesses
Tooth extractions
Treatments
X-rays
Accident Only: This plan provides coverage for the extraction of injured teeth.
Preventive Care Coverage: This is available as an add-on to a base plan. It covers routine teeth cleanings for dogs and cats. And it offers some coverage for an annual wellness exam to help catch any dental issues early on.
ASPCA doesn’t cover the following:
Cosmetic, endodontic, or orthodontic services
Pre-existing conditions
Routine dental care
ASPCA Waiting Period
ASPCA imposes a 14-day waiting period for accident and illness policy coverage, but preventative care coverage starts as soon as your plan takes effect.
Embrace
Embrace offers dental illness coverage in its Accident and Illness Insurance plan for up to $1,000 per year for coverage of the following:
Broken, chipped, or fractured teeth
Extractions
Gingivitis
Periodontal disease
Root canals and crowns
Stomatitis
Embrace pet insurance doesn’t cover the following:
Annual dental exams
Dental chews
Dietary dental supplements
Pet toothbrush or toothpaste
Routine dental care
Teeth brushing by a vet or groomer
Embrace Waiting Period
If you want coverage for regular dental care, you can purchase an additional Wellness Reward policy. Embrace has a 14-day waiting period for illness coverage, but accident coverage starts on your policy’s effective date.
Healthy Paws
A Healthy Paws pet insurance plan provides coverage for the following dental issues:
Broken or chipped teeth due to outside accident or trauma to the mouth
Dental malocclusion
Dentigerous cysts
Reconstruction of teeth if injured in an accident
Stomatitis
Tooth extraction
The policy excludes:
Extractions and reconstructions from dental disease
Periodontal disease and other issues due to the lack of preventive care
Pre-existing conditions
Retention of deciduous teeth
Routine dental healthcare
Healthy Paws Waiting Period
Healthy Paws has a 15-day waiting period for dental injuries once you enroll your pet.
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How to find pet dental insurance
When looking for pet dental insurance, consider the following tips:
Review your pet’s needs
Knowing the coverage you want for your pet will help you narrow down the insurance company and plan that’s best for your situation. Consider whether you want a more comprehensive accident and illness plan or if an accident-only plan has enough coverage to give you peace of mind.
Compare pet insurance quotes
To find coverage that meets your pet’s needs and your budget, compare multiple pet insurance quotes. Consider factors including reimbursement choice, the deductible amount, and if the plan has any annual or lifetime limits.
For example, Embrace offers dental illness coverage in its accident and illness insurance plan with a limit of up to $1,000 per year.
Understand your coverage
Before you purchase pet dental insurance, make sure you read the policy’s fine print. Do you understand what’s covered and what’s excluded?
While most pet insurance companies exclude pre-existing dental conditions, check if any other exclusions could prevent your pet from getting the coverage you expect.
Consider a pet insurance wellness plan
Most pet dental insurance plans don’t include routine dental care, such as regular cleanings. If you want extra coverage for this type of care, you often need to add a wellness plan to your base insurance plan.
In addition to routine dental care, many wellness plans provide other preventative care, such as yearly vet visits and vaccinations.
Is pet dental insurance worth it?
Whether pet dental insurance is right for you depends on your pet and your unique situation. Accident-only pet insurance costs an average of $17 per month for dogs and $10 per month for cats. Accident and illness policies cost $56 per month for dogs and $32 per month for cats, on average.[4] Wellness add-ons typically cost less than this, but it depends on the insurer.
Weigh these costs against some common dental procedures to decide if pet dental insurance makes sense for you. A teeth cleaning costs $707 on average, treatment for dental disease or periodontitis averages $768, and emergency surgeries or hospitalizations could run into the thousands.[5]
Pet dental insurance FAQs
Learn more about the value of pet insurance, and check out the answers to common questions about pet dental insurance below.
Can you visit any veterinarian with pet dental insurance?
It depends. Many insurance companies allow you to visit any licensed vet, emergency clinic, or rehab facility to get your pet care. Review the fine print of your insurance company’s policy for details.
Does pet dental insurance cover teeth cleaning?
Not typically. Most pet dental insurance plans don’t cover teeth cleaning. If you want coverage for routine dental care, consider adding a wellness plan to your base coverage.
Does pet insurance cover dental disease?
It depends. Many pet insurance companies cover dental disease, also known as periodontal disease. But coverage varies among insurers, so it’s best to review your pet insurance policy for exclusions.
Does USAA pet insurance cover dental?
Yes. USAA works with Embrace Pet Insurance to provide dental coverage. Embrace offers dental illness coverage in its accident and illness insurance plan for up to $1,000 per year.
Sources
- United States Department of Agriculture. "Canine Periodontal Disease (PD)."
- ASPCA. "Cutting Pet Care Costs."
- VCA Animal Hospitals. "Dental Disease in Cats."
- North American Pet Health Insurance Association. "Average Premiums."
- CareCredit. "How Much Does a Vet Visit Cost?."
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Jessica Martel
Jessica is a freelance writer, professional researcher, and mother of two rambunctious little boys. She specializes in personal finance, women and money, and financial literacy. Jessica is fascinated by the psychology of money and what drives people to make important financial decisions. She holds a Masters of Science degree in Cognitive Research Psychology.
7+ years in content creation and management
5+ years in insurance and personal finance content
Ashley is a seasoned personal finance editor who’s produced a variety of digital content, including insurance, credit cards, mortgages, and consumer lending products.
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