Dental Tourism in Tijuana, Mexico: Is It Worth It?

*The dentist office I visited in Tijuana*

Have you ever heard of “dental tourism”? The more I travel, the more I talk to others who travel for dental, medical, or cosmetic purposes vs. only for business or pleasure.

Whether it is to seek out a specific dentist or oral surgeon, get higher quality care than you might find back home, or get a lower price than you would pay back home, there are many reasons why someone may choose to do services in a different country.

Over the summer, I was about to see what all the hype was about with dental tourism - I hopped across the border from San Diego, California to Tijuana, Mexico for a quick gum procedure.

Why Go Abroad for Dental or Cosmetic Services?

I am no stranger to getting various services done abroad that I would typically get back at home. Since I am a digital nomad who travels while working frequently, there have been many occasions where I happened to be due for things such as a haircut and color touch-up abroad, my next laser hair removal appointment, or my next nail appointment.

Guess what? Not only have I sought out high-quality and well-reviewed locations for all of the above, every time I’ve done any of that outside the United States (like in Mexico, Argentina, Montenegro, and Bali), I’ve saved quite a bit of money. It’s convenience and cost-savings at its finest. I’ll take it!

And while I was in the neighborhood, before my dental appointment in Tijuana, I popped over to NARO Wellness Center for a quick Botox touch-up. I do what's known as “Baby Botox” (a light, preventative amount that is equivalent to about 1/3 or 1/2 of what older women typically get) and had great, natural results. This is also where I did laser hair removal. (For reference, botox was $6.50 per unit in July 2024 and laser hair removal sessions are usually $75-100 depending on whether they are doing promotions.) I’ve also had a deep cleaning facial here, too. If you live in San Diego or are traveling to Tijuana, I can fully recommend NARO after testing a bunch of treatments there.

Why Tijuana for Dental Tourism?

Tijuana is rated #2 in Mexico in popularity for dentistry, right after Los Algodones, Mexico. Tijuana is just south of the border near San Diego, Cailfornia and Los Algodones is just south of Yuma, Arizona.

In fact, when I drove up to the dental office, it was in a big office building with a number of other dental and health-related clinics. With so many dental offices in one area, you know they’ve got to be good - and consistently booked - to stay in business!

Where I Went in Tijuana for my Dental Procedure

I did my dental procedure at Aesthetics Smiles in Tijuana with Dr. Ray. The reason I chose this office was due to all of their positive, 5-star reviews on Google. I simply zoomed in on Google Maps to the area of Tijuana near the San Ysidro border, typed in periodontist, and clicked around at the different locations. Aesthetics Smiles seemed like a great fit and after I emailed them some questions, I called them to schedule an appointment.

I was very impressed with Dr. Ray, the staff, and the office as a whole. The procedure was easy and went very well. I went in for a lower frenectomy where a laser was used to help slow gum recession on one tooth. The process was pain-free and the treatment area healed quickly.

Two months later, I’ve noticed no further recession of the gum on the tooth we have been watching, as well as no pain when brushing or eating, which is amazing! I might need to return to Dr. Ray or another gum specialist for that tooth later on - ideally years or even a decade out, but for now, this works as a “Band-Aid” and is a helpful preventative measure.

In terms of cost, the procedure costed $150 USD, compared to quotes I received of $530 in California and $530 in Arizona.

If you are considering booking a dental appointment in Tijuana and are coming from San Diego, here’s exactly how my day went from the border crossing to the procedure and back up to the US.

How to Prepare for a Dental Trip to Tijuana from San Diego

Border Crossing from San Diego to Tijuana through the San Ysidro Border

To get to the San Ysidro border from San Diego, you can either:

Uber to the border, do the border crossing by foot, and then Uber or take a taxi to the dental office on the other side
Take the San Diego trolley to the San Ysidro border, do the border crossing by foot, and then Uber or take a taxi to the dental office on the other side
Drive to the border, park in one of the paid parking lots, do the do the border crossing by foot, and then Uber or take a taxi to the dental office on the other side (this is what I did)
Drive your own car through the border crossing and in Tijuana (the lines to drive through each way can get excruciatingly long, especially during rush hour or on weekends, which is why I always walk through)

Don’t forget your passport before you leave! Remember, you are doing a day trip to another country.

Driving to the border from San Diego: I drove to the San Ysidro border, parked at “Premium Parking - P1451” (here’s the Google Maps link) and then walked through the border. There are a number of other parking lots, but I prefer this one due to your ability to pay by a QR code through your phone and choose the amount of time you’ll be there (instead of paying for a full-day rate when you know you’ll only need 3-6 hours.)

When you are driving from San Diego, if you are parking and walking through, remember that it is important to get off the highway when you see the sign that says final exit in the USA.

If you are taking the trolley, the San Ysidro stop is the final stop on the line and is literally right next to the walkway for the border.

Important Note: The San Ysidro border is in a different area than the CBX Bridge you would use for the Tijuana airport. You can only use the CBX bridge if you have a valid plane ticket for that day, which is why in most cases you’ll cross at San Ysidro for dental work.

Follow the signs - go past the red trolley station and McDonald's toward the walking path (in Spanish = "Cruce Peatonal." Honestly, the border crossing is not the most inviting looking compared to anywhere else I've been in Mexico, but it's fine

Walking through the San Ysidro border: This is super easy. Once you are parked (or your Uber drops you off), follow the signs for the border. They are easy to find and are just past the left side of the red San Diego trolleys. I’ve never had to get out my passport going in to Tijuana, though be sure to have it ready just in case. (You will definitely need your passport to cross back into the US.) Here, you’ll put your bags through a security bag check and walk out the other side, usually without even needing to talk to anyone.

Phone Tip: Turn on data roaming on your phone if you have it. When I was walking from the parking lot up to the crossing, I turned “on” my data roaming with T-Mobile (I have the “ONE” Plan, which gives free calls/texts/data in Mexico and Canada), prior to walking through so it would be ready to go for me to order an Uber on the other side. I’ve forgotten to do this in the past and it can take a few minutes sometimes.

*The view as you walk out of the border crossing on the Mexico side. Mmm, I can smell the food from the food carts already!*

Getting to the dental office from the border: I ordered an Uber and took the 7-minute Uber to NARO and then another 5-10 or so minute Uber to the dentist’s office. There are also plenty of taxis right outside the border if you have pesos (cash) on you. I don’t believe taxis in Tijuana accept USD, though you could ask.

Uber Tip: To get to the area where Ubers are allowed to pick up, you need to walk for a couple of minutes after the border crossing (follow the map on the app).

One thing I didn’t realize about Dr. Ray’s office is that they offer complementary shuttle services to/from the border and the office! He said around 80% of his patients are Americans from San Diego, so this is a great free offer. I have plenty of travel experience and it was super easy to Uber (or take a taxi if I have pesos on me) that the Uber was totally fine.

Your Day in Tijuana (+ Taco Recommendations!)

Your day will most likely be spent doing your dental procedure.

For me, I had about 25 minutes between my quick treatment at NARO and my dental appointment, so I figured I’d grab some delicious and authentic Mexican tacos. It was a great choice as I knew I would be required to eat soft foods for the next several days due to the dental work!

I had some pesos on me from a previous trip to Mexico, and I got two tacos and a bottled water for 95 pesos (around $5 USD) at Tacos Tres Hermanos. It was only two blocks from NARO. Cash only.

There are plenty of great taco spots right in this area, such as Tacos “5” Hermanos which is more seafood-based. If you don’t have cash on you, consider La Fabrica del Taco, which is a place a friend and I visited once that takes cards.

Like I wrote earlier in this post, my procedure at Aesthetics Smiles with Dr. Ray went really well. The Uber I took from the taco place dropped me off right at the building and I took the elevator to the second floor. The staff is all super friendly, and in case you don’t speak Spanish, everyone here spoke perfect English. The office is extremely clean, modern, and professional - equally as nice and clean as anything back home in the US.

I already knew what to expect after talking to Dr. Ray on the phone prior to booking the appoitment, so after I filled out the forms, we got right into the treatment. I was in and out in less than an hour, with all my post-care instructions and special mouthwash to swish twice-daily.

Returning to San Diego from Tijuana through the San Ysidro Border

Walking through the border: When you walk back through the border, the line is going to be LONG.

Important Note: The border crossing line in Tijuana to get back into the US is on the other side, so you won’t want to Uber or taxi back to where you entered. On Uber, I type in “San Ysidro” or “Cruce Peatonal” and it usually pops up the correct location.

If you are a US citizen, do you have Global Entry? It’s optional, but I highly recommend getting it before your trip to expedite the border crossing back into the US. It can take 2-3 months to get the appointment and approval for Global Entry, so do it ASAP.

Plus, with Global Entry, you have expedited customs lines/processes when returning back to the US which is a massive time saver (we’re talking saving hours of time to simply to a quick scan and walk-through that take less than 30 seconds).

The Global Entry/SENTRI line at the San Ysidro border to get back into the US is significantly shorter and will save you hours.

You will need to show the Global Entry ID card in addition to your passport to access this line, so make sure you have that on you.

If you don’t have the Global Entry/SENTRI card or are not a US citizen, you will need to wait in the regular line. It’s long, especially on weekends, so prepare plenty of time in your schedule.

Flying into San Diego or Tijuana? If you don’t live in Southern California and need to fly, you can choose to fly into the San Diego Airport or the Tijuana Airport. If you fly into San Diego, you will need to make your way to the San Ysidro border and do the walk or drive crossing like I mentioned above. If you fly into Tijuana, you will already land in Mexico and can Uber or taxi to the dental office from there after completing customs.

If you fly into Tijuana but want to add on a few days in San Diego before your dental visit to turn this into a vacation, you can utilize the CBX border crossing from the TIJ airport to go into San Diego for $20-25 USD each way. Learn more about the CBX here. You can only cross via CBX if you have a valid airline ticket for that same day - otherwise, you need to cross at San Ysidro.

Another travel hack I like to do is fly from Tijuana to other parts of Mexico, as there are usually more direct flights than coming from San Diego. For example, you can fly to Cabo from Tijuana in two hours, or fly directly to other parts of Mexico such as Mexico City, Oaxaca City, Puerto Vallarta, Tulum, and Cancun.

Also read: The Ultimate San Diego Travel Guide

Safety in Tijuana

I haven’t spent a ton of time in Tijuana outside of cosmetic and dental visits, and only a couple of dinners out several years back with a friend. I’ve gone to Tijuana during the day and felt completely fine.

Know that my perspective with this is that I am an experienced traveler, having been to 47 countries on six continents, many having been to as a solo female traveler.

To me, Tijuana is similar to most places around the world…there are nice restaurants, casual hole-in-the-wall restaurants, office buildings, taxis, Ubers…and like a lot of parts of the world, there are people selling you things on the street all over the place. You might see some poverty and people asking for money. Especially when you are right by the border, it might not feel like the more touristic and luxury parts of Mexico such as Cabo or Tulum. Have this expectation in mind ahead of time.

I personally avoid wearing flashy jewelry or designer clothes in Tijuana, like I would in many places while traveling. I also keep my bag zipped and have awareness like I could in any city.

But I’ve never felt unsafe during the day solo or with a friend taking an Uber from place to place. When I went to dinners with a guy friend at night in Tijuana years back, I was glad to be with someone else who knew which streets were okay to walk around at night from having been to Tijuana more than I had. If you are simply visiting Tijuana to get dental work done and aren’t staying at a hotel overnight, you’ll likely only be out during the day. My two cents!

The locals in Tijuana are really friendly, by the way! I’ve always found the locals in Mexico to be so kind and welcoming. Knowing Spanish or at least using Google Translate on your phone can help you ask for directions if you need to.

Enjoy your trip!