I found the best pet insurance for dental care by evaluating major providers based on their coverage for dental accidents and illnesses, as well as their options for policy customization and terms for waiting periods and pre-existing conditions. I also assessed their average rates and their customer experience for buying, policy management and claims. My top recommendations are as follows:
Best Pet Insurance for Dental Care
Updated: July 20, 2026
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
To find the best pet insurance companies for dental, we evaluated coverage, affordability and customer experience across 18 major pet insurers using over 67,000 pet profiles representing mixed breeds and purebreds in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Our analysis used base profiles of a 6-year-old Labrador Retriever and a 7-year-old Ragdoll, each with a $5,000 annual limit, $500 deductible and 80% reimbursement rate to ensure consistent comparisons across providers.
We assessed coverage breadth and flexibility for dental-specific health risks, analyzed pricing competitiveness across different breeds and locations and measured customer experience throughout the policy lifecycle from enrollment to claims. Each insurer received a composite score based on coverage options and terms (50% of overall score), affordability (30% of overall score) and customer experience (20% of overall score).
For a detailed breakdown of the metrics, scoring methodology and analysis approach, see our full methodology.
ASPCA: Best Pet Dental Insurance Overall
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
ASPCA is my pick for the best pet insurance for dental care overall, offering the best coverage and lowest average rate at $29 monthly, which translates to 38% savings against the national average. Its Complete Coverage plan covers tooth extractions resulting from dental accidents, dental illnesses, such as periodontal disease and gingivitis, as well as teeth cleanings prescribed to treat dental issues after the 14-day waiting period ends, at no extra cost. This makes ASPCA a strong choice for pet owners who want financial protection against both unexpected dental injuries and long-term dental diseases without paying a high premium for it.
However, ASPCA doesn’t cover endodontic or orthodontic dental services such as crowns, fillings, implants and root canals or planing. If your pet has a damaged tooth that can be saved rather than extracted, you may have to pay the full cost of these more specialized procedures out of pocket.
Read our review: ASPCA Pet Insurance Review
Pets Best: Best for Direct Vet Pay
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Pets Best is my recommendation if you want to reduce your upfront vet costs for expensive dental procedures. Through its Vet Direct Pay, the insurer can pay licensed vets directly for covered claims after you submit a claim along with a signed veterinarian reimbursement release form. Pets Best also imposes a short accident waiting period between zero and three days based on state, so you can get coverage quickly after enrollment. However, it doesn’t cover dental cleanings, even when they’re prescribed to treat a covered condition, and you’ll need to purchase its optional wellness add-on to get coverage.
Read our review: Pets Best Pet Insurance Review
Lemonade: Best for Pre-Existing Dental Conditions
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Lemonade rounds out my top three recommendations for dental pet insurance, being the only provider to cover pre-existing dental conditions. If your dog or cat already has documented gingivitis or early periodontal disease before enrollment, you can still get coverage for dental illness treatments, procedures, routine cleanings, diagnostics and medications, up to $1,000 a year with no deductible, if Lemonade’s Dental Care add-on is available in your state and you add it to your base policy. That said, the add-on is not available in all states and if it is, you can only purchase it for pets below 3 years old.
Read our review: Lemonade Pet Insurance Review
How Dental Coverage Terms Affect Your Pet Insurance Decision
Dental disease is one of the most common health conditions in both dogs and cats, with studies showing that 80% to 90% of dogs over the age of 3 have some component of periodontal disease, according to Cornell University's Riney Canine Health Center. For cats, between 50% and 90% of those older than 4 years of age suffer from some form of dental disease, per the Cornell Feline Health Center.
Because dental disease is so common, the value of pet insurance depends less on whether a policy includes dental coverage and more on how it covers dental care. Understanding the coverage terms below before enrolling can help you choose a policy that is more likely to cover the dental treatment your pet may need over its lifetime.
- Coverage for dental accidents: Look for policies that cover dental injuries such as fractured or broken teeth, as these treatments often require expensive extractions or oral surgery after unexpected accidents.
- Coverage for dental illnesses: Check whether the insurer offers coverage for common dental diseases, including periodontal disease and gingivitis, in its base plan or requires optional add-ons.
- Coverage for teeth cleaning: Prioritize insurers that cover teeth cleanings prescribed to treat a covered dental condition as standard, as these procedures can be medically necessary but are often excluded when considered routine preventive care.
- Waiting periods: See how long the waiting periods are for accidents and illnesses are for each insurer you're considering. Find providers with a short or no waiting period for accidents and waivers for their illness waiting period through a physical exam.
- Pre-existing condition policy: Favor insurers with the most flexible pre-existing dental condition terms, such as covering curable conditions after a symptom-free period, to improve the chances of future dental treatment being eligible for coverage.
- Enrollment eligibility: Choose a provider with no enrollment restrictions to maximize your pet's chances of qualifying for dental coverage before dental disease develops.
How to Find the Right Pet Insurance for Dental Care
Dental coverage terms and costs vary across providers, and the right plan depends on your pet's species, size, age and current dental health. Below, I'll walk you through finding coverage that suits your pet's risk profile without overspending on benefits that won't pay out.
- 1Determine if getting dental pet insurance is worth it
Before comparing providers or premiums, decide whether getting dental pet insurance makes sense for your situation. Ask your veterinarian about your pet's expected dental health risks over its lifetime. Discuss whether your pet's breed, age or medical history increases the likelihood of developing dental disease or requiring procedures such as tooth extractions or periodontal treatment. You can also supplement your vet's advice by reading discussions from owners of your pet's breed in breed-specific forums or subreddits like r/dogs, r/cats or r/AskVet to better understand the dental issues and treatment experiences commonly reported for pets like yours.
- 2Decide on an annual limit that matches your pet's risk
Your annual limit determines how much your policy pays out in a single policy year, and it resets at renewal. For dental illness, total treatment costs for periodontal disease can reach up to $2,600 on average, based on my analysis of MoneyGeek's vet cost data. The annual limit becomes more important when dental illness coincides with other conditions in the same policy year. To better determine the right annual limit for your situation, use MoneyGeek's pet insurance coverage needs calculator and enter your pet's species, breed, state and age.
- 3Research pet insurance providers
Once you know your pet's risk profile and the coverage structure you need, review how each provider handles dental coverage before requesting quotes. Most providers make sample policies available before purchase, which give you the clearest picture of exactly what is and isn't covered before committing. Confirm:
- Whether dental illness is included in the base plan or requires a separate add-on
- Whether prescription medications for dental infections are covered under the base plan or need an add-on purchase
- How each provider defines pre-existing conditions
- How long waiting periods for both dental illness and accidents last
- 4Compare multiple quotes
Get quotes from the providers you shortlisted and use the same annual limit, deductible and reimbursement rate across every quote to make the comparison accurate. If you're evaluating optional wellness plans for routine teeth cleaning coverage, price those separately and compare the annual reimbursement cap against the additional monthly premium cost.
- 5Research claim approval rates and customer experience for dental conditions
How consistently and fairly a provider handles each submission directly affects how manageable your out-of-pocket costs stay between appointments. To research this before committing, check platforms like Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau, where policyholders leave detailed accounts of their claims experience. Pet owner communities on Reddit are also useful, since owners discuss specific claim outcomes and how providers handled dental condition disputes in practice.
- 6Enroll early to ensure dental coverage
Enrolling your pet while its dental record is clean is the most effective step you can take to avoid dental coverage exclusions. Any condition documented before your policy starts, including a passing mention of tartar buildup or early gum inflammation at a wellness visit, is a potential pre-existing condition that can follow your pet through every renewal. Also, waiting periods for dental illness are usually 14 days, so enrolling while the pet is young and healthy gives those periods time to clear during a window when symptoms are unlikely to develop.
Best Pet Insurance for Dental Care: FAQ
According to my analysis, the best pet insurance companies for dental coverage are:
- ASPCA: Best Dental Pet Insurance Overall
- Pets Best: Best for Direct Vet Payment
- Lemonade: Best for Pre-Existing Dental Conditions
Most pet insurance plans cover dental accidents under the base accident and illness plan. Dental illness coverage, including periodontal disease and gingivitis, varies by provider. Some cover it under the base plan after the waiting period, while others require a separate add-on. Routine dental cleanings are generally not covered and require a wellness or preventive care add-on.
Average treatment costs for periodontal disease in pets range from $390 to $2,600, based on MoneyGeek's vet cost data. The range breaks down as follows:
- Diagnosis: $90 to $600
- Surgery: $300 to $2,000
Local veterinary costs can differ from these national averages, so contact your nearest animal hospital for estimates specific to your area before comparing coverage options.
The best time to enroll is while your pet is a puppy or kitten and its dental record is clean. Any condition documented before your policy starts can be classified as pre-existing and excluded from coverage.
The most important terms to review before committing to dental pet insurance are whether dental illness is covered under the base plan, how the provider defines pre-existing conditions and what the waiting periods are for both dental illness and accidents. Also confirm what accident coverage pays for on a dental injury, since some providers cover extraction only while others extend to endodontic treatment and reconstruction.
Get Pet Insurance Quotes for Dental Care
Dental coverage decisions depend on your pet's age, size and dental history. A puppy or kitten with a clean record needs a plan that secures coverage before dental conditions develop, while a small breed dog or older cat with a documented dental history needs a provider whose terms account for what's already on the record. Use MoneyGeek's tool below to compare pet insurance quotes for dental coverage from the top providers.
About Ritchel Mendiola
Ritchel Mendiola is a Pet Insurance Content Writer at MoneyGeek. She produces coverage guides, provider comparisons and cost analyses so pet owners can understand their options and avoid overpaying.
Ritchel spent over four years as a News and Feature Writer at Asian Journal Publications, where she reported for the Asian Journal newspaper and Balikbayan Magazine, conducted interviews and covered media events. At MoneyGeek, she covers policy terms, exclusions, waiting periods and reimbursement structures the way she treated news facts. They're sourced, verified and reported accurately rather than summarized from marketing copy.
She joined MoneyGeek in late 2021 in the loans vertical and moved to pet insurance content, which she now leads. Her published work includes provider comparisons, breed-specific cost guides, age-specific coverage analyses and state-level pricing studies, all from the vertical's 5 million pet insurance profiles across 18 major providers and all U.S. states.
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rianmendi/
Contact Email: ritchel.mendiola@moneygeek.com
Sources
- Cornell University College of Medicine. "Feline Dental Disease." Accessed July 15, 2026.
- Cornell University College of Medicine. "Periodontal Disease." Accessed July 15, 2026.