Many pet parents are in the dark when it comes to taking care of their pet’s dental health. Some take a toothbrush to their cat’s teeth and give up after 10 seconds, while others might pick up dog dental chews and think that’s all that’s needed to get the job done. But just like their parents, pets need routine oral care for their comfort and overall health. Neglecting proper oral care can lead to expensive, long-term issues.
Dental disease is one of the most common pet medical issues, affecting more than 80% of dogs and 70% of cats as early as age three. When untreated, dental disease can cause infections, gingivitis, tooth loss and even spread to major organs. Treating this common illness can be expensive; preventive cleaning can cost anywhere between $300 and $700, and more complex treatment can be thousands of dollars. Out-of-pocket costs for pet care have risen by up to 20% since 2022, which is why many pet parents look for pet dental insurance to ease the financial burden.
Read on for a complete guide to various pet dental insurance options to protect your pet’s oral and overall health for more great years together.
Most pet insurance plans include some form of dental insurance, but each plan covers different things. Some of the most important things to consider include the type of coverage, whether you can access preventive routine cleanings, if there’s a cap for dental treatment and the waiting period before your pet can receive care after enrollment. All of these factors have a direct impact on your pet’s well-being.
Does your pet even need dental coverage? What many pet parents don’t realize is how common dental disease is, with over half of dogs and cats showing signs by age three. Periodontal disease can cause tooth infections, abscessed teeth and gum deterioration, possibly requiring treatments like deep dental cleanings under anesthesia and tooth extractions.
Studies also show that one in four pets experience a dental injury at some point in their life, from chipped teeth to fractured jaws. Treatment for these injuries can be as minor as a tooth extraction or as complicated and expensive as a full jaw repair or root canal.
Fetch Pet Insurance is designed to help your pet live a longer, healthier life. Since oral health is an important part of your pet's overall well-being, our policies include coverage for dental injuries and diseases affecting all adult teeth and gums. This includes conditions such as gingivitis, broken teeth, jaw fractures and other covered dental illnesses and injuries. For routine preventive care, including dental cleanings, you can add optional Fetch Pet Wellness.
Dental protection is just one part of our comprehensive accident and illness coverage. Your core policy covers a broad range of unexpected injuries and illnesses, while Fetch Pet Wellness is available as an optional add-on for routine and preventive care. While some insurers exclude certain treatments from their base plans, we include extensive accident and illness protection in one plan for pets as young as six weeks old, with no upper age limit for enrollment.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: On average, the monthly pet insurance price for Fetch Pet is $34/mo for dogs and $22/mo for cats, and that includes pet dental insurance. Your price will vary depending on your pet, so it is best to complete a simple questionnaire to calculate exact pricing for your pet’s needs. The sooner you enroll your pet, the sooner you’ll unlock lower premiums and more complete coverage.
Most other pet insurance companies offer some sort of dental coverage, each with its pros and cons. Here's what you need to know about the most popular alternatives to Fetch Pet and how they compare.
ASPCA offers pet health insurance for dogs, cats and some coverage for horses. For dogs and cats, ASPCA has a few plan structures: a comprehensive accident and illness plan, an accident-only plan and an optional preventive care add-on. Each ASPCA base plan includes various levels of dental coverage. Complete Coverage includes a range of dental treatments. Their accident-only plan covers tooth extraction for injured teeth, while the preventive care add-on includes routine teeth cleanings.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: ASPCA costs around $56/month for dogs and $28/month for cats.
How Fetch Pet wins out: While ASPCA Pet Health Insurance offers pet parents flexibility with coverage options and pricing, Fetch Pet is the most comprehensive plan. And because we offer endodontic dental treatment — a service excluded from ASPCA’s coverage — your pet has access to full-mouth protection when serious dental disease or injuries happen.
Embrace Pet Insurance offers a range of policies covering accidents, illnesses and preventive care. The complete accident and illness plan covers dental illness, hereditary conditions, chronic conditions, behavioral issues, alternative therapies and more. You can add on a Wellness Rewards plan for routine and preventive care. Embrace’s accident and illness policy offers dental coverage up to $1,000 per policy year, and accidents are covered up to the full annual maximum. Dental accidents are covered up to your full annual maximum, and dental cleanings may be eligible for reimbursement with an added Wellness Plan.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: Average monthly cost for Embrace Pet Insurance ranges between $20 to $70 for dogs and $10 to $30 for cats
How Fetch Pet wins out: When it comes to dental coverage, Embrace's $1,000 cap per policy year can quickly get used up with expensive periodontal disease treatments. Fetch Pet doesn't have a separate dental cap and will cover any dental illness or accident up to your full annual policy limit.
Healthy Paws is a simple, straightforward pet insurance plan backed by Chubb. They offer two plan options: a Signature Plan with lower deductibles and higher reimbursement and a Value Plan with lower monthly premiums. Their protection covers accidents, sudden illnesses, breed-specific conditions, chronic conditions and a wide range of dental issues. While Healthy Paws dental coverage is quite extensive, they are conservative when it comes to treating periodontal disease. When they suspect you haven’t taken preventive measures like regular oral care, they exclude any treatment for this common illness.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: Healthy Paws pet insurance is on average $60 per month for dogs and $28 per month for cats.
How Fetch Pet wins out: Healthy Paws doesn't cover periodontal disease treatment, especially if they suspect you haven’t done enough to prevent the illness. As dental disease is extremely common, Fetch Pet covers it and gum disease. Unlike Healthy Paws, we offer a wellness add-on for routine dental cleanings to prevent disease.
Lemonade pet insurance starts simple with a base accident and illness plan that covers diagnostics, procedures and medications (with certain exclusions by state). From there, you build on with optional add-ons and preventive care packages. Lemonade's base plan does not include pet dental insurance, but you can add one of two dental options: Dental Care (which may cover cleanings and pre-existing or new illness, depending on your state) and Dental Illness (treatment for new dental diseases only). Both add-ons cap at $1,000 per year.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: Lemonade's base plan starts at $10 per month, but with add-ons like dental care, average monthly costs typically range between $21 and $46 per month.
How Fetch Pet wins out: Fetch Pet's pet insurance plan includes pet dental insurance as standard, while Lemonade requires choosing between two separate dental add-ons. Other add-ons, like vet visit fees, force you to pay close attention to what is and isn't covered. With Fetch Pet, the only add-on decision to make is for preventive care.
MetLife Pet Insurance offers one accident and illness plan for dogs and cats, with an optional Preventive Care add-on. If you have multiple pets, you are eligible for their family plan that covers up to three pets on one policy with a shared deductible. In regards to pet dental insurance, MetLife's standard plan includes periodontal disease treatment, root canals, orthodontics and other dental issues related to illness or injury. Dental cleanings are available through the optional Preventive Care add-on.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: MetLife advertises prices that start at $16/mo for dogs and $7/mo for cats, but prices vary based on multiple factors and actually average around $57/mo for dogs and $36/mo for cats.
How Fetch Pet wins out: While both Fetch Pet and MetLife offer strong dental coverage, including periodontal disease treatment, exam fees and root canals, Fetch Pet offers up to 100% reimbursement on qualifying medication through Fetch Pet Rx. MetLife only reimburses up to 90%. Plus, we operate in the United States and Canada, whereas MetLife is only available in the United States.
Pumpkin Pet Insurance offers one accident and illness plan for dogs and cats, and you can opt to add on a Preventive Essentials wellness package for routine care. Pumpkin's standard plan includes pet dental insurance, covering periodontal disease, gingivitis, stomatitis, tooth abscesses, oral growths and tooth extractions for both accidents and illness. However, endodontic procedures like root canals, crowns, caps, fillings and implants are excluded from all plans.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: The average price for pet insurance with Pumpkin is around $94/mo for dogs and $43/mo for cats.
How Fetch Pet wins out: Pumpkin is a strong plan with some unique features like PumpkinNow. But when it comes to dental coverage, Fetch Pet goes further by covering endodontic procedures like root canals and crowns that Pumpkin excludes from every plan. Submitting a claim with us is easy with their app, while Pumpkin's claims go through their online member center with no dedicated app.
Spot Pet Insurance offers an accident-only option or a more complete accident and illness plan. They also offer an optional preventive care add-on, which reimburses for dental cleanings.
Spot offers varying dental coverage in its policies, with tooth extractions covered under every plan. The accident-only plan covers treatment for unexpected accidents, and the accident and illness plan includes the same, plus treatment for periodontal and other oral diseases.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: Spot advertises coverage starting at $15/mo for dogs and $9/mo for cats, but prices vary based on your needs. Monthly costs realistically range between $24 - $49/mo.
How Fetch Pet wins out: Fetch Pet’s comprehensive plan includes accident and illness coverage, including most dental treatments, while Spot’s different plans offer varying protection. Spot excludes important dental treatments like root canals, crowns and fillings.
Trupanion offers one comprehensive pet insurance plan that covers most accidents, illnesses and diseases in dogs and cats. What makes them different is that they don’t offer any wellness add-on or coverage (dental cleanings, routine exams, etc). Pet dental insurance is included in Trupanion’s plan, covering new dental illnesses and injuries and most treatments. If you want dental coverage, Trupanion requires your pet to receive an annual vet exam and that you follow dental care recommendations.
Coverage highlights:
Pros:
Cons:
Pricing: Trupanion pet insurance costs, on average, between $70-$130/mo.
How Fetch Pet wins out: While both Trupanion and Fetch Pet offer one all-inclusive accident and illness pet insurance plan—which includes pet dental insurance—Trupanion does not offer an add-on wellness plan for dental cleanings and routine care like Fetch Pet.
To give your pet as full and healthy a life as possible, it’s important to consider what a pet dental insurance policy covers and whether your pet can access wellness and illness treatment or only accidents.
Every pet dental insurance plan covers different things. Only accidents or just certain parts of the mouth, here’s what to look out for when comparing what different options cover.
While many pet insurance policies offer dental coverage, not every tooth or issue is covered equally. Some exclude periodontal disease—the most common dental condition in pets—while others cover the condition but exclude treatments like root canals and crowns. Plus, many have dental caps that can run out quickly with a single procedure. Look closely at which conditions and procedures are covered and how much.
Some pet insurance companies give you flexibility to choose between a comprehensive and an accident-only plan, and many pet parents are drawn to the cheaper accident-only option. While some accident-only plans cover dental accidents, they leave your pet unprotected against common dental issues like periodontal disease. This can leave your pet unprotected, and you may end up paying more in the long-term for common illnesses and diseases.
When it comes to routine care like dental cleanings and wellness exams, some pet insurance companies offer coverage with an optional wellness add-on on top of an illness and accident (or accident-only) plan. Fetch Pet, Spot and Embrace are a few that offer this so you can prevent your pet from developing common illnesses like dental disease. Other companies, like Trupanion and Healthy Paws, don’t offer a wellness add-on at all. It’s important to pay attention to what is and isn’t covered under a wellness add-on to make sure that your pet gets the preventive care they need.
Every pet insurance plan has those fine print conditions that can impact your pet's health. Here's what you need to look out for regarding plan limits, waiting periods and exclusions.
There’s nothing worse than finding out only when your pet needs an expensive treatment that their insurance plan won’t cover it all. Sometimes, policies set a maximum amount they will pay out per year. Others offer unlimited payouts. On top of that, some also set separate dental caps. It’s important to know your plan’s limits so you can be prepared for uncovered emergencies.
Most pet insurance plans have a waiting period before coverage kicks in, typically 14 days for illness and sometimes shorter for accidents. These often apply to dental injuries and illnesses as well. Some waive waiting periods under certain conditions. Fetch Pet, for example, waives waiting periods for eligible pets adopted from participating shelter partners.
Pre-existing conditions, including dental ones, are usually not covered under pet insurance. If your pet already shows signs of an illness like periodontal disease or has had a dental procedure before enrolling, that condition will often be excluded. Some plans do cover curable illnesses after a certain amount of time, but the best solution is to enroll early to make sure your pet is protected when issues arise.
Choosing the right pet dental insurance comes down to knowing what your pet needs and what a plan covers. Here are five things to keep in mind:
Your pet's dental health is about more than fresh breath. Oral diseases and injuries not only cause them discomfort, but can have an impact on their whole health. The right pet dental insurance means you don’t have to weigh the cost of care against your pet's health. But every plan is different, and most leave significant gaps. Some don’t cover the most common dental disease. Others cap how much dental care they’ll cover.
At Fetch Pet, we know that dental health is a part of your pet’s holistic wellbeing, so we include pet dental insurance in our plan. It's the most complete dental coverage available, built for pet parents who want more good days with the animals they love.
Get your personalized Fetch Pet quote today to protect your pet’s smile and health.
Most pet insurance policies do not cover routine dental cleanings under the base accident and illness option. Many—but not all—offer additional wellness plans for that type of preventive care. So if regular teeth cleaning is important for your pet, make sure to seek out a pet insurance plan that offers a wellness option.
Pet dental insurance isn't sold separately and is usually included as part of a broader pet insurance plan. Most accident and illness plans range from $20 to $100 per month, depending on your pet's species, age, breed, location and the level of coverage you choose. Plans that require dental as an add-on will cost more on top of the base premium. With Fetch Pet, dental coverage is built into every policy starting at an average of $34 per month for dogs and $22 per month for cats.
At some point in their lifetime, most pets will need unexpected veterinary care, and emergency treatments and visits can cost hundreds to thousands of dollars. For pet parents who don’t want to take on these costs alone, pet insurance is worth it because they pay a predictable monthly premium instead of unpredictable treatment costs.
When it comes to dental coverage, having a plan with pet dental insurance is important for your pet’s overall health. For example, periodontal disease affects up to 80% of dogs and 70% of cats by age three, and treatment can range from a professional cleaning for hundreds of dollars to a root canal that may cost $1,500 plus.
The Dig, Fetch Pet Insurance's expert-backed editorial, answers all of the questions you forget to ask your vet or are too embarrassed to ask at the dog park. We help make sure you and your best friend have more good days, but we’re there on bad days, too.
Save up to 90% on unexpected vet bills
Use any veterinarian in the U.S. or Canada
Rated 'Excellent' on Trustpilot
The most comprehensive pet insurance
up to 90% of vet bills – covered.
Every 6 seconds, a pet parent gets a $1000+ vet bill. Care for your pet & your wallet with Fetch.
Get your price
