Cat Tooth Extraction Cost & What To Expect

If you have a cat who needs a tooth extracted, it can cost you several hundred dollars. That might cause some sticker shock, but ignoring your cat’s dental health can be dangerous — it allows bacteria to get into the body through the mouth. If not treated, dental issues can lead to other more serious problems, like heart, liver, and kidney disease.¹

The good news is extracting a problematic tooth can reduce the amount of pain your cat could be in and prevent more serious health issues from developing.

A MetLife Pet Insurance policy with a Preventive Care plan add-on can help reimburse potentially expensive oral vet bills — including tooth extractions and teeth cleaning. Get a free quote. 

How Much Does a Cat Tooth Extraction Cost?

A cat tooth extraction can cost an average of $50 – $130 per tooth, depending on where you live. This cost is often added on top of dental exams and cleanings, which run about $350 – $400. More severe cases can cost a few thousand dollars altogether, especially if you have to see a dental specialist.

Let’s take a look at some of the reasons why your cat may need a tooth extracted, how you can tell if your cat has a tooth issue, and some of the factors that affect cat dental extraction costs.

Reasons Why a Cat Tooth May Need To Be Extracted

There’s no denying you know your cat inside and out, but a veterinarian will be able to diagnose any dental problems your cat is experiencing and recommend when it’s best to extract a tooth. That’s why routine checkups and cat teeth cleanings are so important — and can help prevent more serious dental problems.

Here are some of the reasons a vet may suggest or require tooth extraction:²

• Feline odontoclastic resorptive lesions (FORL): Also called tooth resorption, this is when your cat’s teeth bone tissues are worn down by plaque and can damage the root.
• Gingivitis: This is a gum disease caused by irritation and bacteria from tartar buildup. It’s mostly seen in cats with feline leukemia virus (FeLV) or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV).
• Advanced periodontal disease: The most common reason for extraction, this is a serious infection that comes with inflammation and can lead to gum and jawbone damage.
• Broken tooth
• Infected tooth or gum

Symptoms of dental problems

Cats may hide their pain when they’re sick — even the most attentive pet parent can’t foresee all situations. However, you can keep an eye out for some of the common symptoms of cats experiencing dental problems, including:²

• Decreased or loss of appetite for hard foods
• Bad breath
• Difficulty chewing or refusal to chew
• Lesions along the gum line
• Swollen or red gums
• Broken, missing, or loose teeth
• Pawing at the mouth

If you notice any of these symptoms, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your vet to diagnose the issue.

Cat Tooth Extraction Surgery Costs

There’s no one-size-fits-all dollar amount for cat tooth extraction costs because every cat and diagnosis is different. Some factors that can affect the cost of tooth extraction surgery include how many teeth need to be pulled, the size of the tooth, the current health of your cat’s mouth, and where you live.

Keep in mind that tooth extraction is a surgery. General anesthesia, medication, hospitalization, surgical supplies, and dental X-rays are likely involved and will contribute to the final cost.

You’ll want to talk to your veterinarian about the risks and benefits of surgery based on your cat’s current health. Pre-op blood work may be needed to see if your cat is healthy enough for surgery — and to properly dose anesthesia for surgery — and could increase the overall cat tooth removal cost.

What To Expect After a Tooth Extraction

Your vet will likely send you home with instructions to help you care for your cat while they recover from their tooth extraction surgery.

Make sure you’re keeping them comfortable by giving your cat any post-op medication the vet sent you home with, feeding them softer foods to eat, providing them a safe space to relax and recover, and watching for signs of surgery complications.

While every cat is different, the effects of anesthesia will likely wear off after a few hours, and your kitty may be tired for a day.³ They could also experience some mouth sensitivity for a week or two.⁴ While your vet will likely want to schedule a follow-up visit, call them sooner if you notice any bad breath, swelling, blood, or discharge.⁴

Can You Prevent a Cat Tooth Extraction?

A great way to help prevent tooth extraction is through routine monitoring — which is recommended once a year — and professional cleanings.¹ During a dental exam with your vet, they’ll look at your cat’s teeth, tongue, gums, and tonsils and let you know if you need to schedule a cleaning. Depending on how tolerant your cat is, sedation may be required. And if a cleaning is scheduled, anesthesia is typically used.¹

There are also steps you can take at home to help maintain your cat’s dental health with frequent teeth cleaning. You can give them dental chews, treats, special food, and water additives. Or you can train your cat to let you brush their teeth with a toothbrush and toothpaste made specifically for cats.¹

Talk to your vet to see what they recommend before you start any home dental health maintenance.

MetLife Pet Insurance Can Help Cover Dental Care

If your beloved cat ends up needing a tooth extraction, cat insurance may help cover some of the dental expenses. MetLife Pet Insurance offers plenty of dental insurance coverage for your pets.

Through our standard policy, you can typically get reimbursed for extractions related to periodontal disease or injuries — as well as other diagnostics and treatment involved with these conditions. And with our Preventive Care plan add-on, things like routine teeth cleanings to help prevent the need for extractions can be covered. However, if a tooth needs to be pulled due to a pre-existing condition, it may not be covered.

MetLife Pet has reimbursed many cat owners for tooth extractions — like Toby, a 7-year-old cat from Massachusetts. He had a fractured tooth removed that cost over $2,400, but his pet parents were reimbursed nearly $2,200 through their cat insurance policy.⁵ Then you have Baker, a one-year-old cat from Oregon, who was diagnosed with gingivitis and needed a tooth removed. The diagnostics and procedure cost over $1,700, but Baker’s family was reimbursed just over $1,500.⁶ Or Tina, a 2-year-old cat from Minnesota, who had a tooth extracted due to resorptive lesions, costing over $400 — but whose pet parents got nearly $400 back.⁷

Ready to see how much you and your feline friend could save on dental care costs? Get started today with a free quote from MetLife Pet Insurance.