1300 489 873Pet dental care is just as important as all the other stuff. As pet parents, it’s super important we make sure our fur babies are covered for whatever life throws our way, including dental illness or injury.
Wondering whether dental care is covered with pet insurance? We’ll tell you everything you need to know right here.
In this guide, we answer ‘Can you get pet insurance including dental?’ — and that’s not all.
We also share why dental care is important, how much it typically costs, common dental problems to look out for, and loads more. Sink your teeth into this free guide today!
Does Pet Insurance Usually Cover Dental Care?
Dental treatment isn’t the most common inclusion to come by with pet insurance, but it’s certainly out there. There’s loads of different insurance policies out there that offer their own level of cover. Some give you just the basics, like accident-only cover, while others give you the full package, such as comprehensive cover.
In most cases, comprehensive pet insurance policies are more likely to include select dental treatments. This means you can claim back some money for any eligible dental treatments you paid for. Take PetsOnMe for instance, we’ve got our Deluxe Plan which includes a bunch of dental treatments, like tooth removal, gingivitis, tooth fracture, dental disease, and more.
If you do pick a policy with dental cover included, it’s worth knowing that you’ll have higher premiums. But what you pay in premiums won’t even come close to the costly fee you’d otherwise need to pay for dental treatments, so it’s definitely worth every dollar.
Why Dental Care Matters for Pets
Although it’s often forgotten about or overseen by pet owners, dental health is so important for our pets. Here are the key reasons why it matters so much:
- Avoids Serious Health Problems: Dental diseases and injuries that get left untreated too long can lead to some serious trouble down the line, which won’t just end up affecting your fur baby’s quality of life, but also cost a fortune to treat.
- Minimises Bad Breath: As pet parents, we’re all too familiar with stinky tuna breath and smelly drool, but it should never be unbearably bad. Maintaining your pet’s dental health will reduce how bad their breath gets.
- Supports Long-Term Health: Good oral health will keep your pooch or feline healthy and prevent any issues from arising down the line.
- Ensures a Happy, Long Life: Our fur babies use their mouths for absolutely everything — eating, playing, carrying stuff — which is why it’s so important they can use them without any discomfort or issues.
How Expensive Is Dental Care for Pets?
There’s a bunch of factors that affect the cost of dental treatment for pets. Other than the type of treatment your pet’s getting, their species (cat or dog), age, breed, and pre-existing conditions all have a part to play in determining the price of treatment. Your vet’s location can also impact the cost — vets in urban areas tend to cost more.
In general, initial consultations can cost about $350. Small procedures including dental cleaning can cost anywhere between $1,400 and 1,700. More complicated treatments, like gum tissue removal or tooth extraction, can set you back between $2,300 and $5,800+.
When you’ve got dental cover included in your pet insurance, your pockets are protected from paying the full price of these treatments, so it’s a worthwhile investment that will actually save you money.
The Most Common Dental Problems in Pets & How To Spot Them
Our pets get their noses into everything and pick up all kinds of strange stuff that can cause dental issues. As a pet owner, it’s important to know what kind of problems can arise, so that you’re fully prepared to get them the help they need. Here’s an overview of the most common dental problems our pets can face:
Common Dental Issues with Cats
- Periodontal Disease: Inflammation of the gums and tissues around the teeth, most common in adult cats.
- Tooth Resorption: When the tooth starts to break down and get reabsorbed into the body.
- Gingivitis: Early stage of gum disease caused by plaque buildup.
- Stomatitis: Extreme inflammation of the mouth tissue.
Common Dental Problems with Dogs
- Tartar and Plaque Buildup: Can lead to decay, inflammation, and infection.
- Retained Baby Teeth: Super common in smaller breeds, like chihuahuas.
- Fractured Teeth: Dogs will chew everything and anything, which often leads to broken teeth.
- Periodontal Disease: Just like kitties, our pooches can get inflamed gums.
Signs Your Pet Has Dental Trouble
Here are some universal tell-tale signs that your pet has dental trouble:
- Extremely bad breath
- Red, swollen, and/or bleeding gums
- Difficulty chewing
- Loss of appetite
- Pawing at the mouth or face
- Yellow or brown tartar on the teeth
- Excessive drooling
How To Keep Your Pet’s Mouth Healthy & Happy
There’s a bunch of easy tricks and hacks to keep your furry bestie’s mouth in tip-top shape and prevent oral problems from happening.
Dental chews are a total win-win for pets and pet parents because they are super easy to incorporate into your furry friend’s routine. Just toss them onto your pet and they’ll think it’s a tasty treat, saving you the hassle of chasing them around with a toothbrush!
While brushing your pet’s teeth can be tricky, it’s definitely worth the effort. Pet-friendly toothpaste that’s flavoured makes our pets a little more willing and brushing their teeth that extra bit easier.
What your pet eats obviously has a huge impact on their oral health, which is why a dental-friendly diet is a wise choice.
And of course, regular dental care from the vet, like teeth cleaning and polishing, will contribute to purrfect dental hygiene, and help you spot any problems earlier on before they become serious.
Types of Dental Cover for Pets
Dental cover typically involves dental illness and dental injury treatment. Common diseases, like gum disease, accidents, including fractured teeth, and procedures, such as extractions, are usually part of the package when you’ve got dental treatment included in your policy.
Routine and preventive care, like regular check-ups and dental cleaning, isn’t included. But this can vary depending on who your insurer is. If you’re ever unsure of what dental care is part of your policy, check your product disclosure statement (PDS) — that’s where you’ll find the inclusions and exclusions of your policy.
Get Select Dental Treatments Covered with PetsOnMe
PetsOnMe is your go-to pet insurer for comprehensive cover with dental care included. Our Deluxe Plan covers all the important stuff, from accident and injury treatments to hereditary conditions and hospitalisation. It also includes select dental illness treatments, like extraction and gingivitis treatment.
Our policies are designed for both pets and pet parents. We guarantee simple, 100% transparent cover without any confusing jargons, sneaky lock-in contracts, or hidden fees. And, dental illness cover isn’t all you get with our Deluxe Policy — we also offer special discounts on pet care, like cat sitting and dog walking.
