Pet Dental Insurance: Finding The Right Plan (2024)
Our pets rely on us to keep them happy and healthy. Along with parasite prevention and a nutritious diet, pets need regular dental care. Many pet parents forget that maintaining their pet’s dental hygiene is essential to overall health.
In fact, poor dental hygiene could lead to gum disease, a mouth injury, and health problems down the road. Luckily, pet health insurance providers offer pet dental insurance to ensure your pet’s teeth are taken care of.
Our Top 4 Pet Dental Insurance Providers
Continue reading to learn more about the following pet insurance providers so that you can choose the best one for your needs:
- Spot: Best overall
- Lemonade: Most affordable
- Embrace: Best for deductibles
- Prudent Pet: Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options
Compare Pet Dental Insurance Companies
| Best For | Star Rating | Monthly Cost | Link | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spot |  | Most Inclusive | $22-$80 | Compare Quotes | |
| Lemonade |  | Most Affordable | $16–$30 | Compare Quotes | |
| Embrace |  | Best for Discounts Offered | $23-$85 | Compare Quotes | |
| Prudent Pet |  | Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options | $18-$29 | Compare Quotes |
| Spot | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
 |
| Best For | Most Inclusive |
| Star Rating | |
| Monthly Cost | $22-$80 |
| Lemonade | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
 |
| Best For | Most Affordable |
| Star Rating | |
| Monthly Cost | $16–$30 |
| Embrace | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
 |
| Best For | Best for Discounts Offered |
| Star Rating | |
| Monthly Cost | $23-$85 |
| Prudent Pet | |
|---|---|
| Logo |
 |
| Best For | Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options |
| Star Rating | |
| Monthly Cost | $18-$29 |
What Does Pet Dental Insurance Typically Cover?
Dental injury, dental illness, and dental cleanings are the three most common dental items you’ll see in pet insurance policies. Different incidents and conditions are covered under these categories, so make sure you understand what your particular provider means when it says “dental insurance.”
Dental injury – Dental injuries, such as broken, chipped, or fractured teeth, are covered under most traditional accident/illness plans. Dental injuries can result from something as serious as your pet getting hit by a car or as simple as it chewing too hard on a bone.
Dental illness – Dental illnesses are conditions like gingivitis, stomatitis, feline tooth resorption, and periodontal disease that can arise unexpectedly or result from inadequate dental care. Because some pet dental illnesses are preventable, pet insurance providers sometimes exclude them from coverage. If dental illness coverage is important for your pet, be sure to read the fine print of various plan options.
Routine dental care – Pet insurance providers consider dental cleanings a part of preventative care, so they don’t typically cover it under accident/illness plans. Many providers offer wellness plans for dental hygiene services like routine teeth cleanings, teeth brushing, and annual checkups. Preventative care plans may also reimburse you for dental care products like dental chews, pet toothpaste, and dental supplements.
Do You Really Need Pet Dental Insurance?
According to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, your pet’s oral health affects all facets of its overall wellness. By age three, most dogs and cats have developed dental disease. Pets constantly ingest germs because they use their mouths to eat, play, and pick things up. Pets also can’t brush their teeth, so the germs and food debris stay there unless we clean their mouths for them. We can maintain routine pet dental care at home, but professional work is needed to truly ensure good dental health.
Veterinary dental work isn’t cheap. Along with dental procedures, regular cleanings often require anesthesia, which adds hundreds of dollars to your vet bill. Your pet’s dental injury treatment costs will most likely be accompanied by office fees, medicine costs, diagnostic testing fees, and more. In short, pet dental insurance is a beneficial tool for managing veterinary dental costs if and when they arise.
How Much Does Pet Dental Insurance Cost?
Pet dental insurance costs vary depending on what you need coverage for. Traditional pet insurance plans cover unexpected dental injuries, dental cleanings, and offer pet wellness plans. Dental illness coverage varies across providers. Some pet insurance companies consider dental illness preventable and don’t offer coverage.
Pet insurance companies typically cover dental issues under traditional accident/illness plans, so you won’t have to buy a dental insurance add-on. Most accident/illness plans cost about $30-40 per month for dogs and $15-$25 per month for cats.
Wellness add-ons can cost anywhere from $20-$50 per month but truly vary by provider. Be sure to check your provider’s specific preventative care limits on routine teeth cleanings. Your preventive care package will only cover a portion of your dental cleaning cost.
The vet will most likely sedate your pet for the cleaning. Sedation requires a preoperative exam and blood testing, which can take your pet’s dental cleaning cost up to $700 or so. For example, a veterinarian in Los Angeles quotes a non-anesthetic cleaning at $180 and an anesthetic cleaning at $680.
Pet Dental Insurance Providers Overview
Spot
Most Inclusive
Lemonade
Most Affordable
Embrace
Best for Discounts Offered
Prudent Pet
Best for dog and cat parents who want basic options
Find out more in our Prudent Pet review.
How Can You Prevent Pet Dental Issues?
The best way to help prevent your pet’s dental problems is to keep up with routine care. You can brush your pet’s teeth weekly to remove any bacteria or tartar buildup. Make sure to use veterinarian-approved toothpaste for the best results.
You can also buy dental chews for your pet. These chews – disguised as tasty treats – clean your pet’s teeth and gums while providing enrichment and fun. If your pet is uninterested in dental treats and refuses to have its teeth brushed, you can use dental water additives that will rinse its mouth and quell bad breath.
Along with at-home dental care, pet owners need to take their animals to the vet for routine dental exams and cleanings. These exams and cleanings aren’t cheap but will help prevent more serious dental issues down the road.
Final Thoughts
Pet dental insurance can cover a range of items, from dental injuries to periodontal disease. Dental treatments can be pricey – sometimes involving scans, anesthesia, tooth extractions, and medications, so coverage is important.
Most policies cover dental accidents and illnesses, but you can also purchase an accident-only plan for unexpected dental mishaps. No matter what, be sure to read your policy’s fine print for any possible exclusions.
Now that you understand the importance of your pet’s dental health, you can get to work finding a pet insurance agency that meets your needs. We hope our top-notch provider reviews help you find the best pet insurance for your pets dental needs that will leave you and your furry friend smiling from ear to ear!
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Dental Insurance
Do all vets take pet insurance?
In short, yes. Your pet insurance provider doesn’t work with your vet, so you don’t have to worry about your vet being in-network like a human health insurance plan. Instead, you submit your claim directly to your pet insurance provider, which will reimburse you based on your coverage. This allows you to go to any licensed veterinarian, whether they are at a clinic or animal hospital, to get your pet the care they need. As long as the treatment is covered under your plan, you’ll be covered.
How do I get reimbursed for a vet bill?
Simply take your cat to any licensed veterinarian and submit your claim. Depending on your provider, you can submit your claim through its mobile app, online member center, or through the mail. Then, you’ll wait for your provider to approve the claim. Once approved, it will reimburse you for the allocated amount in your pet insurance policy through direct deposit or check.
Do pet insurance policies have waiting periods?
Yes, pet insurance policies more than always have waiting periods. between your initial enrollment period and when coverage officially begins for the plan. Across most providers, the standard is around 14 days for accidents and illnesses, but some others, including Lemonade and Embrace, can shorten your waiting period to as low as two days for accidents.
Our Methodology
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