Does pet insurance cover dental treatment?

Something you don't want to get your teeth into? A hefty dentist bill for your pet.

Luckily you can add dental cover to your pet insurance. This can cover the cost of certain dental treatments (just not the routine stuff like a scale and polish).

Make sure you know what dental work your pet insurance covers though. Some just cover accidents, like a fracture. Others cover accidents and illnesses like abscesses.

In this guide, we'll look at how to keep your pet's teeth healthy. We'll also look at the different types of dental cover you can get and what to look out for when you buy.

Is dental cover included in cat and dog insurance policies?

Dental insurance isn't included as standard on pet insurance (for the most part). You usually add it to your policy for an extra cost.

Once it's added, you'll find there are a few options for cover. Accident only covers any accidental damage to your pet's teeth. Accident and Illness covers this and treatments for abscesses, cavities and lesions.

Your dental cover doesn't cover your pet's usual scale and polish. But it's important to keep on top of this so that you don't end up with bigger vet bills.

It's also a condition of your pet insurance to keep your pet's teeth in good condition. Brushing your pet's teeth and getting them vet-approved dental chews can help with this. So can using dental-care supplements in their water and food. We'll discuss this in more detail later in the guide.

What dental treatments are typically covered?

Pet insurance with dental usually covers accidents, injuries and illnesses.

There are 2 types of dental insurance that you can buy to cover these - Accident Only and Accident and Illness:

• Accident only covers accidents that damage your pet's teeth, like a chip from chewing something too hard. If you had this type of insurance, you'd have to pay for any treatment for illnesses.
• Accident and illness covers accidents and also illnesses. This means conditions like abscesses or gum disease could be covered.

Key things to remember

You need to keep your pet's teeth in good shape. So, make sure their teeth are regularly checked and cleaned if needed.

Hold on to your pet's dental records too. Your insurer will need to see these to honour your claim. If your insurer finds out you weren't doing routine dental checks, they might not pay to treat the problem.

So, make dental care a part of your routine. Just like you would with vaccinations or worming and de-fleaing treatments.

Does pet insurance cover tooth extractions and cleanings?

In some cases, yes. For example, if your dog chips a tooth catching a frisbee, your insurance can pay to remove it. But that's as long as your insurance covers accidents and illnesses.

Your insurer might also pay for an extraction if your dog gets an abscess. Again, you'd have to have accident and illness cover for this.

But your insurer might not pay out if your dog's teeth extraction is linked to neglect or not for medical reasons.

Routine scales and polishes aren't typically covered by your insurance.

How much do common dental treatments cost in the UK?

Here's a list of some common dental procedures for different animals and how much they might cost.

Keep in mind though - the cost of your treatment depends on where you are in the UK (for example, it'll cost more in London). It also depends on how serious the dental condition is.

Vets might have to do some procedures under general anaesthetic, this can bump up the price further:

Like we mentioned, scales and polishes aren't covered by your pet's dental cover. But the prices of some of the other procedures can reach into the thousands.

Providing you've done everything you can to look after your pet's teeth, dental cover should cover these costs.

How to ensure your pet's dental treatments are covered

There are 3 key things to do to make sure your pet's teeth are healthy and covered by your insurance:

• Make sure your pet's teeth are regularly checked and cleaned.
• Keep a record of any scale and polishing or treatment that your pet's had done.

Act on vet advice. If they think your pet needs a treatment, make sure you do it sooner rather than later so the problem doesn't get worse.

What are the most common dental problems for cats and dogs?

The most common dental problems for dogs are:

• Gum disease (periodontal disease) - this affects most dogs over the age of 3.
• Tooth fractures.
• Tooth root abscesses.
• Retained baby teeth (this is usually more of a problem for small breeds like Yorkshire terriers, Chihuahuas and Malteses).
• Misaligned bite (malocclusions) this might be a genetic issue or because of injury. It can cause wear to the teeth.
• Oral tumours.

Cats get fractured teeth, gum disease and oral tumours, but there are some conditions that are specific to cats:

• Tooth resorption (feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions or FORLs for short) this is when the tooth structure breaks down from the inside, causing the cat pain.
• Gingivostomatitis. This is severe inflammation of the gums, and it's sometimes linked to viruses like feline calicivirus and FIV.
• Retained kitten teeth. This can cause extra crowding in the cat's mouth, and plaque builds up as a result. Usually this is more common in pedigree breeds.

How to help prevent dental issues in your cat or dog

The best thing you can do for your pet's teeth is to get your vet to check them at least once a year. It's a good idea to combine this with their annual health check when they get their vaccinations.

You can also buy a variety of different things to keep your pet's teeth in good order.

For example, with dogs, you can get long-lasting chews that help to reduce the build-up of plaque. Certain bones can help too. Chewing these can keep the plaque from building up on their teeth.

You can also clean their teeth with a toothbrush and flavoured toothpaste. Don't worry readers, it's dog-friendly flavours like turkey or liver.

There are powders that can go in their food too, and a sort of doggy mouthwash that you can add to their water.

The same applies for cats, you can clean their teeth using a soft bristle brush and get chews that can help with their oral hygiene.

But, and this is a big but, always consult your vet before you use any of these for your pet. Vet-approved products are always the best option.

How can I find pet insurance that covers dental?

You can compare pet insurance policies through us (Confused.com).

We don't ask you whether you want to include dental when you're getting a quote. But, you can check if a pet insurer covers dental when you get your list of quotes. Click 'more info' and then 'go to provider'.

You should see a quote summary, this'll say whether dental is included or not. It'll also say what type of dental cover it offers, this could be the types we mentioned. So Accident only or accident and illness.

If you want more comprehensive dental cover for your pet, try and find pet insurance that covers accident and illness.

Another thing to look out for - your pet's cover limit. The whole pet insurance policy will have a limit on what it pays out, this can range from £4,000 up to £10,000.

Any dental work is part of this, usually it'll say something like "£2,000 per year (as part of the overall veterinary fees limit)". This is worth thinking about when it comes to making a claim.

If you're unsure, speak to the insurer that you're thinking of buying from. They could always add dental to your insurance policy if they offer it.