Dr. Alberto Wintergerst Fisch
Board certified
Certificate 442 · valid to 2028-04-29
San Diego, California to Tijuana
Tijuana dentists, coming from San Diego
The standard approach is to park on the US side near San Ysidro and walk across. Walking avoids the long vehicle queue coming back, and most Zona Rio clinics will collect you on the Mexican side.
Distance
About 20 miles to the San Ysidro crossing
Travel time
25 to 40 minutes to the border, depending on traffic
Coming back
Pedestrian waits northbound at San Ysidro swing widely through the day. Check the CBP border wait times page the morning you travel.
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 San Diego?
About 20 miles to the San Ysidro crossing. 25 to 40 minutes to the border, depending on traffic. The standard approach is to park on the US side near San Ysidro and walk across. Walking avoids the long vehicle queue coming back, and most Zona Rio clinics will collect you on the Mexican side.
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?
Pedestrian waits northbound at San Ysidro swing widely through the day. Check the CBP border wait times page the morning you travel. 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.