Dr. Alberto Wintergerst Fisch
Board certified
Certificate 442 · valid to 2028-04-29
Phoenix, Arizona to Tijuana
Tijuana dentists, coming from Phoenix
Flying into San Diego and taking ground transport to the border is usually easier than the drive. Some patients cross at Nogales instead, but Tijuana has far more clinics set up for US patients.
Distance
About 360 miles to San Diego
Travel time
5.5 to 6.5 hours by road
Coming back
If you fly, do not book a same-day return after surgery.
Distances and times are approximate and change with traffic and with the wait at the crossing. Check the CBP border wait times page on the morning you travel.
Dentists in Tijuana with credentials you can check
Dr. Esteban Ramírez González
Board certified
Certificate 270 · valid to 2031-04-29
Planning the trip
The thing that decides whether this is worth it is not the price of the procedure, it is how many trips the treatment needs. An implant is normally two visits several months apart. Orthodontics can be many more. Ask for the number of in-person visits in writing before you commit, and read how the crossing works before your first one.
Questions patients actually ask
How long does it take to get to a dentist in Tijuana from Phoenix?
About 360 miles to San Diego. 5.5 to 6.5 hours by road. Flying into San Diego and taking ground transport to the border is usually easier than the drive. Some patients cross at Nogales instead, but Tijuana has far more clinics set up for US patients.
Do I need a passport?
To come back into the United States, yes. A US passport, passport card, or an enhanced driver's licence from a state that issues them. Walking into Mexico is easy; the document you need is for the return leg.
How long is the wait coming back?
If you fly, do not book a same-day return after surgery. Pedestrian and vehicle lanes move at completely different speeds, which is why most patients park on the US side and walk.
Can I drive home the same day after treatment?
After a cleaning or a filling, yes. After surgery with sedation, no: you need someone else to drive, and for anything involving the upper jaw ask the dentist about flying before you book a flight home.