Your guide to pet insurance dental coverage
When it comes to dental health, Fetch offers the most comprehensive pet insurance coverage — from broken teeth to periodontal disease and beyond.
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“I worry about gum disease. My toothbrush is an old stick.”
— Rugby
Common dental illnesses and injuries in pets
Pet dental injuries are incredibly common — in fact, 1 out of 4 pets experience a traumatic dental injury throughout their lifetime. Broken teeth make up about 50% of those injuries, which isn’t surprising given how much our pets love to gnaw on nearly anything they can find.
According to Dr. Aliya McCullough, Fetch’s Chief Veterinary Officer & Director of Veterinary Affairs, the most common dental illness in pets is periodontal disease, which happens when there’s an infection or inflammation in an animal’s teeth and gums caused by bacteria. It can start as mild as gingivitis, but can progress to cause loose teeth or teeth falling out. Periodontal disease can be incredibly painful and uncomfortable, and as we know, your pets can’t just tell you when they aren’t feeling well.
When it comes to cats, tooth resorption is another common dental illness to have on your radar. Nearly 7 out of 10 cats experience resorptive lesions, which are typically treated by extracting the affected teeth. Tooth resorption can be tricky for pet parents to spot because cats are so good at hiding their signs of pain.
The benefits of dental care for pets go beyond their teeth and gums
Dr. McCullough also stresses the importance of dental care because it’s linked to your pet’s overall health and well-being. Chronic inflammation in the mouth puts a lot of stress on the rest of the body, and when dental problems go untreated, those inflammations and infections can also exacerbate other illnesses in dogs and cats. Dental disease can make it much harder to regulate a pet’s diabetes, for example. Or if your pet has kidney or heart issues, having an inflammation in the mouth can lead to infections and make it harder to treat those diseases.
It’s key to remember that signs and symptoms of dental disease in pets can be very subtle. According to Dr. McCullough, dogs and cats often won’t complain about their pain, so it becomes a kind of secret. In fact, some pet parents don’t even realize their dog or cat is having a dental problem until their behavior changes after a cleaning or treatment. After the trip to the vet, they’ll notice their pet will have more energy and excitement or start eating better.
The bottom line: having a pet insurance plan with comprehensive dental coverage is an important part of keeping your pet’s mouth clean and healthy. Not all providers offer full coverage for treating periodontal disease. But with Fetch, your pet’s gums and every adult tooth are covered.
Does Fetch Pet Insurance cover dental?
Dental care for dogs and cats is crucial: just think about all the hard work those teeth put in on chew toys alone! Fetch Pet Insurance covers injury and disease in every adult tooth, not just the canines. Not all providers do. Plus, you get full coverage for periodontal disease (the most common disease in dogs and cats), oral tumors, trauma and more. Just keep in mind that Fetch (like most providers) doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions, so it’s important to sign up for pet insurance before your dog or cat shows symptoms of an injury or illness to get coverage for those vet visits. All the more reason to protect your pet today.
When you add Fetch Wellness, you'll also have coverage for the routine care that helps pets stay healthy. For example, an emergency vet visit for a broken tooth is typically covered under injury and illness coverage. Routine care for your dog or cat, like dental cleaning, would be covered under wellness. Preventive dental care helps ensure your pet’s teeth and gums are clean and healthy and annual teeth cleanings for your dog or cat can catch early signs of dental disease before they evolve into a more painful illness.
What Fetch covers when it comes to pet dental care
Fetch provides coverage for most dental treatments your vet recommends, including (but not limited to):
Periodontal disease
Oral tumors
Fractured teeth
Root canals
Crowns
Gum disease
Tooth resorption
Tooth extraction
Gingivitis
1 out of 4 pets experience a traumatic dental injury according to a study in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. Dr. Julie Buzby. June 2021.
Nearly 7 out of 10 cats experience resorptive lesions, according to a study in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry. Dr. Julie Buzby. June 2021.