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Did you know that most pets have some level of dental disease by the time they reach three years of age? Protecting and caring for your pet’s teeth is an incredibly important part of their overall health. Neglecting oral health can lead to bacteria buildup that causes inflammation and infection, oftentimes leading to serious chronic pain.
Preventing and treating dental conditions can be expensive for many pet parents, which is where pet insurance may come in. Standard pet insurance plans often cover dental accidents and illnesses. Preventative care add-ons can provide some coverage for routine dental care.
Let’s take a brief look at how dental insurance works before we get into several popular pet insurance providers, what their dental coverage looks like, and which overall has the best pet insurance that covers dental.
What Does Pet Dental Insurance Cover?
The coverage you can expect to receive with a standard accident and illness plan varies from provider to provider. However, it typically covers dental conditions such as periodontal disease, root canals, broken or fractured teeth, and tooth extractions.
Some providers offer broad coverage that includes disease, oral trauma, and tumors, while others don’t include conditions that result from a lack of routine oral care, such as getting your pet’s teeth cleaned regularly.
Our picks
Here’s a high-level overview of a few popular pet insurance providers and their level of dental coverage:
Best Overall Dental Coverage: Fetch
Best Overall Dental Coverage: Fetch
Fetch Pet Insurance has one of the most comprehensive dental coverage options among pet insurance providers, providing coverage in every adult tooth—not just the canines.
Some pet insurance companies only offer coverage for injury and illness in your pet’s canine teeth, but Fetch provides this same coverage in every adult tooth.
Pet parents with a standard plan will be fully covered for gum disease, trauma, oral tumors, and more. It does not cover unnecessary cosmetic procedures, but this is a standard exclusion among pet insurance providers.
Worth watching: For coverage for routine dental cleanings, pet parents may want to look into a Fetch Wellness add-on, which may reimburse you up to $125 a year for cleanings.
Best Customizable Dental Coverage: Lemonade
Best Customizable Dental Coverage: Lemonade
Lemonade allows pet parents to pick and choose what dental coverage options work best for them—giving pet parents more control over a price that fits their budget.
Lemonade has strong dental insurance coverage, although it’s served “buffet-style” and you’ll need to pick and choose your coverage options. We like this because it can help people find a price that fits within their budget. Pet parents who only have a base accident and illness Lemonade pet insurance plan will only have built-in coverage for dental treatments related to accidents.
Treatment for illnesses, like periodontal disease for example, are only available via a separate rider (also known as an add-on). With that rider, you can expect coverage for treatments like dental surgeries, root canals, crowns, and extractions.
Worth watching: Lemonade’s separate wellness add-on, which reimburses you for routine teeth cleanings, will cover up to $150 annually, which is slightly higher than most other plans.
Best Dental Insurance for Healthy Dogs: Pets Best
Best Dental Insurance for Healthy Dogs: Pets Best
Pets Best’s standard policy covers dental care for most emergencies and illnesses for dogs that have had regular preventive dental care.
Pets Best’s standard policy covers dental care for emergencies and illnesses such as fractures, extractions, and periodontal disease—with some caveats. You may be denied coverage for these dental conditions if they’re a result of repetitive issues with chewing that displayed any signs before your policy began or during the waiting period.
Coverage for dental cleanings may be purchased via a wellness add-on—the second tier specifically covers up to $150 annually for dental cleanings or spaying/neutering.
Worth watching: As mentioned previously, some pet insurance providers will only offer dental coverage if a pet parent is on top of their pet’s preventive dental care (such as routine cleanings), so be sure to read the fine print of a sample policy or terms and conditions before you commit to a plan.
Best for Standard Dental Coverage: Spot
Best for Basic Dental Coverage: Spot
With Spot Pet Insurance, a standard accident and illness plan provides coverage for dental diseases and tooth extractions for dental accidents.
With Spot Pet Insurance, a standard accident and illness plan provides coverage for dental diseases and tooth extractions for dental accidents. Like many other pet insurance providers, it doesn’t cover orthodontic or cosmetic dental services like caps, crowns, root canals, or fillings.
Worth watching: For coverage for routine dental cleanings, Spot has two preventive care add-ons pet parents may want to check out. Spot’s Gold plan covers up to $100 for cleanings, while its Platinum plan covers up to $150 in reimbursement for cleanings.
Best Dental Insurance for Tooth Extractions: Prudent Pet
Best Dental Insurance for Tooth Extractions: Prudent Pet
Prudent Pet offers both comprehensive and catastrophic coverage options—and pet parents can expect some dental coverage for both types of plans.
With a Prudent Pet Insurance policy, pet parents may expect some coverage for standard treatment options for new dental diseases, as well as tooth extractions due to injuries and eligible illnesses. If you’re a pet parent who prefers catastrophic coverage with just an accident-only plan, you’ll just be covered for teeth extractions that are result of an accident or injury.
Routine dental cleanings are not part of a standard policy, but some coverage is available under a wellness add-on.
Worth watching: Pet parents should note that dental coverage is only offered if pet parents ensure that their pet’s teeth are regularly examined and cleaned.
Note: Not all providers are available in all 50 states.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pet Dental Insurance
Every pet parent’s needs are different—as are their pets’! The answer depends on what feels right for you. The factors at play are most often your pet’s age and breed, your location, and how you like to make financial decisions.
At its best, pet insurance is a peace-of-mind purchase that ensures you never have to make the choice between financial disaster and a life-saving treatment for your friend.
But a bad policy can be a drain—which is why we’ve partnered with Fletch and tried to do the homework for you so you can pick the option that works for you.
Need more help figuring out if pet insurance is right for you? See Is Pet Insurance Worth It?
Pet insurance is health insurance for pets. For the most part, it works a lot like human health insurance—it’s meant to protect you financially in the event of accidents or illnesses that require a veterinarian’s treatment.
But there are some key differences to be aware of. For example, pet insurance is typically a reimbursement program—meaning you’ll pay your vet, and your insurance company will pay you.
It’s also important to know that most pet insurance plans are built for emergencies and unexpected health issues, not regular wellness visits to a vet (though many offer wellness add-ons).
Last, virtually no pet insurance company will cover a pre-existing condition, but some have better policies than others when it comes to determining what a pre-existing condition is.
See What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
A typical pet insurance plan covers treatment when your pet is injured or ill. It usually doesn’t cover routine care like yearly exams, vaccinations, and dental care.
In some cases, you can purchase add-on coverage for preventive care or prescriptions and medication (usually part of a what’s called a “wellness plan”). Other plans cover alternative/holistic care or telehealth services, and a few offer pet boarding in the event of your own illness or incapacity.
Pre-existing conditions are never covered, and whether congenital issues go the same way can depend on your plan—which is why it’s a good idea to take a careful look at your policy’s fine print.
See What Does Pet Insurance Cover?
The best pet insurance for a dog will depend on your dog’s age and breed—plus your own financial preferences.
If you have a young dog, look for pet insurance plans that offer strong coverage for accidents and mischief, a 24/7 vet line for puppy questions, and a good wellness add-on for routine care. If you have an older dog, look for plans that let you scale back your coverage to avoid exceptions for pre-existing conditions and customize your deductible and reimbursement rate to keep expensive premiums low.
For big dogs, it’s important to choose a pet insurance plan with short orthopedic waiting periods, since large breeds are especially prone to conditions like hip dysplasia and cruciate ligament injuries. Small breeds, with their longer lifespans, can benefit from pet insurance plans that keep the long view in mind, with strong prescription coverage to manage chronic conditions.
See How To Choose the Right Pet Insurance for Your Pet
The best pet insurance for a cat will depend on your cat’s age and current health—plus your own financial preferences.
If you have a young cat, prioritize pet insurance plans that offer strong coverage for accidents and kitten mischief (think accidental ingestion of a foreign object). You may also benefit from a 24/7 vet line for kitten questions and a good wellness add-on for the routine care that young cats need so much of, like vaccinations and spaying/neutering.
If you have an older cat, consider plans that let you scale back your coverage to avoid exceptions for pre-existing conditions. You might also benefit from a highly customizable plan that lets you adjust your deductible and reimbursement rate to keep expensive senior-pet premiums low.
See How To Choose the Right Pet Insurance for Your Pet
Pre-existing conditions are health issues that have been detected (either through a formal diagnosis or a record of symptoms) before you purchased your pet insurance policy.
It can be difficult to know what might count as a pre-existing condition when you purchase insurance—so if you’re on the fence, prioritize a company that will (if requested) review your pet’s medical record at the time of purchase and tell you what they consider “pre-existing.”
The same goes for hereditary and congenital issues—like breathing problems in Pugs. Not all insurance companies cover those, so it’s worth considering health problems your pet might be predisposed to and comparing them against your prospective policy.
See How Does a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Pet Insurance Coverage?
“Curable” pre-existing conditions are health issues that predate your policy’s start date that can be satisfactorily resolved with no expectation of recurrence. A good example is an ear infection. Yes, your pet has had one before—but if a medicated cleanser or antibiotic resolved it, there’s no reason to anticipate your pet will get another one. The condition was cured!
Some pet insurance providers may cover a curable pre-existing condition if enough time has passed since its last appearance, but the definition of “curable” varies from provider to provider.
See How Does a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Pet Insurance Coverage?
A “waiting period” is the amount of time you have to wait between when your policy goes into effect and when your insurance will cover treatment for a given condition. There are typically three waiting periods:
Accidents. Injuries like sprains, broken bones, and scratches fall under this heading. The waiting period for accidents is usually very low, somewhere between one and three days.
Illnesses. This includes conditions like diarrhea and ear infections as well as more complicated diseases like diabetes and glaucoma. Waiting periods for these are typically around 14 or 15 days.
Hip and knee conditions. This usually includes injury or disease in cruciate ligaments and hips, like an ACL tear or hip dysplasia. Waiting periods vary from a rare 15 days to a more typical 6, 12, or even 18 months.
If your dog develops these conditions—or symptoms of them—during a waiting period, it will be considered a pre-existing condition, and treatment won’t be covered.
See How Does a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Pet Insurance Coverage? and What To Know About Waiting Periods and Pet Insurance
Pet insurance premiums vary widely based on the breed of your pet, their age, and your location (the latter because the cost of veterinary care differs significantly from state to state).
There are also different kinds of plans. A bare-bones policy that just covers emergencies, for example, will be cheaper than one that includes preventive care.
You can also make customizations to your deductible, maximum, and reimbursement rates to get higher or lower premiums:
If you pick a higher deductible, you’ll pay less each month.
If you pick a lower annual maximum (sometimes called the annual limit), you’ll pay less each month.
If you pick a lower reimbursement rate, you’ll pay less each month.
In short, pet insurance costs are determined by your pet’s particular circumstances, the plan you pick, and the customizations you make. The easiest way to figure out what you might pay is to get a quote.
See How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?
A wellness plan is an insurance policy or add-on that covers routine healthcare costs, like check-ups, exams, teeth cleanings, and some medications.
Since routine vet visits and costs are pretty predictable, it’s surprisingly easy to do the math on a wellness plan and see if it’s really going to save you money.
See The Best Pet Insurance Wellness Plans: How Preventive Care Add-Ons Work
Some pet parents prefer a pet savings account to pet insurance. The major perk of a savings account is control: unlike with an insurance plan, you know you’ll never pay more than you really need to.
The downside, though, is that making sure you’re always able to tell a vet “yes” to treatment requires substantial savings. Treatment for cancer, common in older pets, could easily exceed $10,000. And it’s not hard to accidentally drain a savings account when other emergencies arise.
Plus, there are scenarios where pet insurance saves pet parents money in the long run.
Ultimately, it doesn’t have to be one or the other. A pet savings account is a great way to pay for routine expenses, while an insurance plan can protect you financially against a sudden, disastrous financial burden.
See Savings Account Versus Pet Insurance: Which Is Better?
Methodology
The above pet insurance providers were highlighted from the options available through our partner Fletch based on the effectiveness and affordability of their accident and illness plans, especially with regard to breadth of coverage, customizability, pricing, waiting periods, age restrictions, and the efficacy of add-ons. Special attention was given to companies that offered meaningful coverage for dental, behavioral, and alternative treatments like physical therapy—realities of modern pet parenthood that often go overlooked. For more information, visit our Methodology page.
This guide was prepared as of January 3, 2023, and may not include all relevant changes since that date.
Further Reading
- Is Pet Insurance Worth It? How To Know If It’s a Good Deal for Your Pet
- What Does Pet Insurance Cover, and How Does It Work? A Beginner’s Guide
- How Does a Pre-Existing Condition Affect Pet Insurance Coverage?
- The Best Pet Insurance Wellness Plans: How Preventive Care Add-Ons Work
- How To Choose the Right Insurance for Your Pet
- How Much Does Pet Insurance Cost?
- What To Know About Waiting Periods and Pet Insurance
- What Are Pet Insurance Deductibles, and How Do You Pick One?
- When Should You Get Pet Insurance?
- Savings Account Versus Pet Insurance: Which Is Better?
Insurance advice, products, and links contained in this article are currently intended for and only available in the states where Rover Pet Insurance Services, LLC is currently licensed as an insurance producer. As we expand our licensing to other states we will update our websites and links.
If you are located in a state in which we are not currently licensed, but would like to learn more about pet insurance products available in your state, you may contact a licensed insurance agent or broker in your state.
The information provided below is offered for educational and informational purposes only. If you have questions regarding particular plans, you should reach out to your insurance company for more information.
This content was prepared by Rover as of January 3, 2023, and may not include all relevant changes since that date.
Pets Best Disclaimer:
Pet insurance coverage offered and administered by Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC is underwritten by American Pet Insurance Company, a New York insurance company headquartered at 6100 4th Ave. S. Suite 200 Seattle, WA 98108, or Independence American Insurance Company, a Delaware insurance company located at 11333 N. Scottsdale Rd, Ste. 160, Scottsdale, AZ 85254. Pets Best Insurance Services, LLC (CA agency #0F37530) is a licensed insurance agency located at 10840 Ballantyne Commons Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28277. Each insurer has sole financial responsibility for its own products. Please refer to your declarations page to determine the underwriter for your policy. Terms and conditions apply. See your policy for details.
ASPCA Pet Health Insurance Disclaimer:
*30-day money back guarantee available if no claims have been covered. Not available in NY and varies in ME.
**Pre-existing conditions are not covered. An injury or illness that is considered pre-existing may be covered in the future if curable and it is cured and free of symptoms and treatments for 180 days, with the exception of knee and ligament conditions. If a knee or ligament condition occurs before the coverage effective date or during a waiting period, any future ones won’t be covered.
Waiting periods, annual deductible, co-insurance, benefit limits and exclusions may apply. For all terms and conditions visit https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/terms. Preventive Care coverage reimbursements are based on a schedule. Complete Coverage℠ reimbursements are based on the invoice. Products, schedules, and rates may vary and are subject to change. Discounts may vary and are subject to change. More information available at checkout.
Insurance products are underwritten by either Independence American Insurance Company (NAIC #26581. A Delaware insurance company located at 11333 N. Scottsdale Rd, Ste. 160, Scottsdale, AZ 85254), or United States Fire Insurance Company (NAIC #21113. Morristown, NJ). Please refer to your policy forms to determine the underwriter for your policy. Insurance is produced by PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd. (NPN: 5328528. Domiciled in Illinois with offices at 1208 Massillon Road, Suite G200, Akron, Ohio 44306). (California residents only: PTZ Insurance Agency, Ltd., d.b.a PIA Insurance Agency, Ltd. CA license #0E36937).
The ASPCA® is not an insurer and is not engaged in the business of insurance. Through a licensing agreement, the ASPCA® receives a royalty fee that is in exchange for use of the ASPCA®’s marks and is not a charitable contribution.
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