When it comes to maintaining a pet’s health, dental disease is not always the first thing we think about — though it should be, considering that 70% of cats and 80% of dogs develop a form of dental disease by the age of three.
Unfortunately, the cost of preventative care for teeth cleaning in dogs and cats can be rather expensive, ranging from $300 to $700. But without proper prevention, it could be double or triple the price for disease intervention later on.
Pet insurance can be a valuable investment to offset some of these costs, but you'll need to
Here's what you need to know to save money on pet dental care:
- Pet insurance that covers dental
- How to choose the best dental plan for pets
- Where to buy dental insurance for pets
- Key Takeaways
Pet insurance that covers dental
Not all pet insurance covers dental. We reviewed some of the leading pet insurance companies, and here’s what we found:
ASPCA
As part of their comprehensive coverage plan, ASPCA offers reimbursement for illness-related cleaning, tooth extractions, cysts, enamel, deciduous teeth, unerupted teeth issues, and periodontal disease. In addition, the preventive care packages include dental cleaning coverage.
Trupanion
Trupanion doesn’t offer a wellness care plan, which means they don’t cover preventive care and teeth cleanings. The company will cover baby root canals, tooth extractions, endodontic treatments, and developmental abnormalities if you sign up your dog or cat before six months of age.
Fetch by The Dodo
Fetch covers the treatment of dental injury and disease to all permanent teeth. However, the company requires the pet to have an annual dental and health checkup for coverage to apply.
Embrace
Embrace covers dental accidents up to your policy limit and dental illness up to $1,000 per year. This includes any broken and fractured teeth, tooth extractions, stomatitis, root canals, crowns, and periodontal disease. With the company’s wellness plan, you can get up to $650 per year for dental illness treatments and cleanings.
SPOT
Spot provides coverage for dental emergencies, diseases, and injuries. It also has preventive care coverage which can help you pay the vet bills for routine teeth cleanings
Pets Best
Pets Best offers a preventative care plan to help cover dental cleaning expenses that is optional to their standard coverage. It also covers non-routine dental treatment, including periodontal disease, tooth extractions, and trauma to the teeth, face, and jaw. However, in order to get this coverage, your pet must be free of dental disease at the time of enrollment.
How to choose dental coverage for your pet
- Available plans
Most pet insurance providers offer comprehensive Accidents & Illness plans. Some, but not all, offer cheaper Accident-Only plans that limit coverage to unexpected injuries, including those that may happen to pets’ teeth. Make sure your provider offers your preferred solution.
Additionally, note that standard pet insurance coverage doesn’t include preventative dental cleanings (though they may cover the treatment of dental disease and/or related tooth extractions). Therefore, you might want to invest in a pet wellness plan that can offset the cost of routine care for teeth cleanings. Not all providers offer them, and the benefits vary by company, so keep these details in mind when making your selection.
- Exclusions
No insurance provider covers pets with pre-existing conditions, such as gum disease that exists before policy enrollment. Nor do they cover cosmetic, orthodontic, and endodontic services such as implants, fillings, and caps. However, some pet insurance plans cover hereditary and congenital conditions, and depending on your pet’s breed and its predispositions to dental issues, this feature may be valuable to you.
- Limits
Some pet insurance policies have annual, lifetime, or per-condition limits that place a ceiling on the maximum payout you can receive in reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. Once you hit that limit, you’ll be required to pay for all remaining expenses.
Among the providers that have coverage limits, some may allow you to choose your desired amount. Generally, the higher the limit, the higher the premium rate you can expect to pay.
Where to buy pet dental insurance
It’s always a good idea to shop around and to learn which pet insurance companies cover dental conditions, but doing so requires a lot of work. Pawlicy Advisor makes it easy to search for pet insurance plans with dental coverage, compare quotes at the lowest possible rate, and customize plans all in one place.
Use our free pet insurance comparison tool to evaluate plans and prices side-by-side to find the best protection for your pet and your budget.
Key Takeaways
- Caring for your pet’s dental health can be quite costly, especially if you don’t invest time and money into preventive care.
- Luckily, there’s a variety of different options for dental pet insurance. You can get coverage for dental illness, dental accidents, or a wellness plan covering teeth cleanings.
- With some pet insurance providers, you’ll need to pay a little extra in order to get dental coverage, while others include certain dental procedures in their standard plans.
- With Pawlicy Advisor, you can compare quotes for pet insurance that covers dental online and get the best price for the cover you need.
