--- title: "Does Pet Insurance Cover Dental? What You Need to Know" description: "Pet dental care is expensive — a single cleaning costs $300-$800. Here's what pet insurance actually covers for dental and what it doesn't." date: 2026-05-04 lastmod: 2026-07-25 category: "Pet" tags: ["pet insurance dental coverage", "does pet insurance cover teeth cleaning", "dog dental insurance", "cat dental insurance", "pet dental care costs"] canonical: https://www-staging.truvo.com/blog/dental-coverage-in-pet-insurance --- # Does Pet Insurance Cover Dental? What You Need to Know > Standard pet insurance covers dental problems caused by illness or accident—like fractured teeth, infections, and extractions—but excludes routine cleanings. Wellness add-ons can cover preventive cleanings, but often don't provide good financial value unless you use multiple benefits. Your vet just recommended a dental cleaning for your dog. The estimate? $400-$800. If they find any teeth that need to be extracted, add another $500-$1,500. And this is supposed to happen every year or two. Naturally, you're wondering: does pet insurance cover any of this? The answer is... it depends. And the details matter. ## The Two Types of Pet Dental Coverage Pet dental care splits into two categories, and insurance treats them very differently: ## 1. Dental Illness and Injury (Usually Covered) Most comprehensive pet insurance plans cover dental problems caused by illness or accident: - **Fractured teeth** from chewing on something too hard or trauma - **Tooth infections and abscesses** that develop from disease - **Periodontal disease** requiring treatment (extractions, surgery) - **Oral tumors** or growths - **Stomatitis** (common in cats — painful inflammation of the mouth) - **Tooth resorption** (cats — where the body breaks down and absorbs the tooth) If your dog cracks a canine tooth chewing a bone and needs a root canal ($1,500-$3,000), most accident-and-illness policies cover this after your deductible and copay. If your cat develops advanced periodontal disease and needs multiple extractions ($800-$2,000), that's typically covered too — as long as the disease developed after your policy's waiting period. ### 2. Routine/Preventive Dental (Usually NOT Covered) Standard pet insurance does *not* cover: - Annual dental cleanings (prophylaxis) - Routine dental X-rays - Polishing - Preventive treatments - Dental exams as part of a wellness visit These fall under "preventive care" and are excluded from most accident-and-illness plans. **The exception:** Some insurers offer optional wellness add-ons that include dental cleanings. More on this below. ## The Waiting Period Catch Here's where people get tripped up. Pet insurance policies have waiting periods for dental coverage — typically 14-30 days for accidents and up to 6-12 months for dental illness. **Why this matters:** If your vet notes dental issues at your pet's first exam, and you then buy insurance hoping to cover the treatment, it won't work. The condition predates the policy (pre-existing) or falls within the waiting period. This is the biggest reason to get pet insurance early. A policy purchased when your pet is young and has a clean dental history means everything that develops later is covered. ## Which Insurers Cover What Coverage varies significantly across providers: ### Embrace - Covers dental illness after a 14-day waiting period - Offers a wellness add-on ($25-$50/month) that reimburses dental cleanings up to a set amount - One of the more generous dental coverages ### Healthy Paws - Covers dental illness and accidents - No wellness add-on available — no coverage for routine cleanings - 15-day waiting period for illnesses ### Trupanion - Covers dental illness with no annual limit - Unique feature: covers dental disease with no waiting period if there are no pre-existing dental conditions - Does not cover routine cleanings ### Pets Best - Covers dental illness and accidents - Offers a wellness plan add-on ($16-$26/month) that includes dental cleaning reimbursement - 14-day accident waiting period, 3-day illness waiting period ### ASPCA - Covers dental disease after 14-day waiting period - Optional preventive care plan includes dental cleaning benefit - Lower wellness plan costs but also lower reimbursement amounts ### Lemonade - Covers dental illness and accidents - Offers preventive care packages that can include dental cleaning - Clean, simple claims process ## Wellness Add-Ons: Are They Worth It? Several insurers offer wellness plans (for an additional $15-$50/month) that include dental cleaning reimbursement. Let's do the math: **Wellness add-on cost:** $25/month × 12 = $300/year **Dental cleaning reimbursement:** Typically $150-$250/year **Other wellness benefits:** Vaccines, annual exam, flea prevention — worth $200-$400 If you use all the wellness benefits, the add-on roughly pays for itself. But if you're adding it *only* for dental cleaning coverage, the math is tight. You're paying $300/year to get $150-$250 back on cleanings. **Our take:** Wellness add-ons make sense if you'll use multiple benefits (vaccines, exam, dental). For dental coverage alone, you're often better off just budgeting $500-$800/year for cleanings. ## The Real Cost of Pet Dental Care Understanding the costs helps you evaluate whether insurance makes sense: ### Routine Cleaning - Dogs: $300-$800 (varies by size, age, and anesthesia needs) - Cats: $200-$600 - Recommended: Every 1-2 years for most pets ### Tooth Extraction - Simple extraction: $150-$400 per tooth - Surgical extraction: $500-$1,500 per tooth - Multiple extractions: $1,000-$3,000+ ### Root Canal - $1,500-$3,000 per tooth - Only performed by veterinary dental specialists ### Oral Surgery (Tumors, Jaw Fracture) - $2,000-$5,000+ - Specialist referral often required For routine cleanings, insurance probably isn't the answer. For the unexpected stuff — fractured teeth, infections requiring surgery, oral tumors — that's exactly what insurance is designed for. ## How to Maximize Your Dental Coverage 1. **Get insurance early.** Before any dental issues appear on your pet's record. A puppy or kitten with no dental history gets the broadest coverage. 2. **Keep up with preventive care.** Even if insurance doesn't cover cleanings, regular dental care prevents the bigger problems. Daily brushing (yes, really) and annual professional cleanings reduce the likelihood of expensive dental disease. 3. **Read the fine print on dental waiting periods.** If dental illness has a 6-month waiting period, you need to plan ahead. 4. **Document your pet's dental health.** Clean dental exams create a paper trail that proves conditions developed after your policy started. If your vet notes "healthy teeth and gums" at your pet's wellness exam, that's valuable documentation. 5. **Compare specifically for dental.** When shopping through Truvo, look at dental coverage details — not just the headline premium. A $5/month cheaper plan with no dental illness coverage could cost you thousands when your pet needs a tooth extracted. ## The Bottom Line Standard pet insurance covers dental illness and accidents — the expensive, unexpected stuff. It typically doesn't cover routine cleanings. Optional wellness add-ons can bridge the gap, but the math doesn't always work in your favor. The best dental insurance is prevention: regular cleanings, daily brushing, and dental chews. But for the inevitable dental problems that many pets face (80% of dogs show signs of dental disease by age 3), having insurance that covers treatment is a smart investment. Get the policy before the problems start. Your pet's teeth — and your wallet — will thank you.