Last fact-checked: 6 October 2022

Save up to 70% on dental implants in Tijuana at one of Dental Departures’ verified clinics south of the border.

We pre-screen all of our partner dentists before they’re listed on this site, ensuring safe and successful treatment for those wanting to replace one, several or even a whole mouthful of missing or failing teeth in Mexico.

Read clinic reviews, see before & after photos, take virtual tours and find the best dentist in Tijuana for implants with Dental Departures on your side every step of the way.

Individual conventional dental implants in the US average between $1,800 and $2,500–with prices and waiting times continuously on the up. These figures do not include the crown and abutment required to complete a full restoration of a tooth, so consider the real cost to be approximately double that, up to around $4,800.

In Tijuana, complete dental implant treatment, including an abutment and crown, starts as low as $1,200.

To get a rough idea about how much patients typically save on different types of dental implants in Tijuana, take a look at the table below with average prices compared to the USA:

Note: The above prices are average figures provided by our network of partner clinics, with averages calculated at the time of writing.

Why Do Costs Vary So Much?

Treatment prices vary dramatically and depend on a number of factors. The main variables to consider include:

• How many teeth are being replaced? (one, several or a whole arch of teeth)

• The type of prosthesis attached to the implant(s), such as a crown, fixed bridge or overdenture

• The grade of material used for the restoration, such as ceramic, porcelain, porcelain fused to metal, composite, zirconia, etc.

• The brand of the system being used, such as Nobel Biocare®, Zimmer Biomet®, Straumann®, etc.

• Other treatments or therapies required before implant surgery can take place, such as a bone grafting

• The reputation of the clinic and expertise of its dental team

What About the Price of a Full Mouth Restoration in Mexico?

A full mouth restoration or “reconstruction” involves replacing all your teeth in the upper and lower jaws. This is typically achieved with the use of a full-arch fixed prosthesis that is attached to four, five or six implants per jaw.

For example, Nobel Biocare’s popular All-on-4® treatment concept could be used as part of a full mouth restoration in Tijuana. The course of treatment would involve dual arch surgery (which can be done concurrently in one longer session of surgery), as well as extractions of any remaining teeth to make way for the full mouth implants.

For a price estimate, full mouth restorations in Tijuana would cost approximately double that of a single arch restoration, totaling anywhere between $16,000 - $25,000. North of the border in the US, it is not uncommon for patients to pay upwards of $50,000 for the same treatment–again, in the region of 60%-70% more.

Tijuana offers competitive prices for dental implants and numerous other types of general, restorative and cosmetic procedures, with a growing number of state-of-the-art facilities welcoming international patients from around the world. With direct flights, easy road links into San Diego in Southern California (40 mins) and plentiful accommodation choices, Tijuana is well worth considering for dental care–especially given the potential to make four or five-figure savings.

For US and Canadian visitors, Tijuana's location means it is easy to travel to, as direct flights can be taken either to the airport in Tijuana, or across the border in the States. This makes it a top choice for those seeking affordable dental implants near San Diego or beyond.

Contrary to past stereotypes, Tijuana is a modern, culturally vibrant city, and its dental facilities attest to this: fitted out with the most advanced, state-of-the-art equipment, dentists and implantology specialists here have undergone training as rigorous as it is in the US and Canada.

Thousands of satisfied patients a year travel to Tijuana for their treatment, serving as evidence that the whole “dental tourism” experience is well worth it. 

> See More: Dental Departures’ network of dentists near San Diego

Using a reliable third-party site like Dental Departures helps you mitigate the risk of receiving substandard care by connecting you with Tijuana’s top implantologists and oral specialists.

The Tijuana dentists we have partnered with are members of the Mexican and/or American Dental Association, with dental surgeons and technicians who specialize in implant-based restorative dentistry, having completed extensive training, often abroad. 

Many also hold memberships or affiliations with world-renowned professional organizations, such as the International Congress of Implantologists.

How We Verify Our Partner Clinics

For each dental horror story you may read online about things going wrong in Mexico, there is almost always a reason behind it: the clinic may have once had a poor reputation and since re-branded; the dentist performing the treatment may not have been properly qualified to carry out specialist care; the dentist may have previously lost its license of was blacklisted, or perhaps the clinic inflated its reputation with false online reviews and heavily photoshopped pictures.

To ensure you don’t fall prey to a dodgy dentist, we ensure every single clinic is subject to a strict vetting process before they’re listed on the Dental Departures site; if we find something we don’t like, we simply don’t partner with them.

Our clinic and dentist verification process includes:

• Performing legal audits into the clinic, ensuring that it is not operating under a new name following any previous problems
• Verifying clinic licenses and certifications
• Making sure any pre-existing online reviews are indeed real
• Checking dentists’ memberships with professional boards in Mexico and internationally
• Investigating dentists’ professional and educational background
• Ensuring clinics have the necessary, up-to-date technology to carry out accurate diagnostics and evaluations, such as digital 3D/panoramic imaging and CT scanning equipment

Check out some of the best dentists for dental implants in Tijuana, Mexico below:

• I Love My Dentist
• Dental Brush
• Smile Builders
• American Biodental Center
• SM4 Smile Method for All

Click through to see dentist profiles, prices estimates, before & after photos, on-site clinic photos, real patient reviews and more useful information.

> See More: Full list of over 60 implant dentists in Tijuana

Above: SM4 Smile Method for All in Tijuana

Alternative Dental Destinations in Mexico

Looking for another destination on the US-Mexico border for your implant treatment? Then take a look at these alternatives where you’ll find similar or even better savings:

> Ultimate Guide to Dental Implants in Los Algodones

> Ultimate Guide to Dental Implants in Mexicali

> Ultimate Guide to Dental Implants in Nuevo Progreso

Why Else Should I Book with Dental Departures?

• Free access to our database of more than 500 background-checked implant dentists in Mexico
• Dozens of other countries to choose from on our site, including Colombia, Costa Rica, Hungary, Turkey, Thailand and Bali.
• Transparent price estimates published on thousands of clinic listing pages
• 24/7 customer support, with real dental tourism experts ready to answer any questions you have before, during or after getting treatment abroad
• No upfront fees when booking
• Free cancellation policy (up to 24 hours before your appointment)
• Exclusive money-saving promotions
• Best Price Guarantee: if you find a better price online for the same treatment with the same dentist, we’ll match it
• Travel tips, as well as advice on entry requirements and insurance.

Tijuana is a thriving city with a growing manufacturing center and a strong cultural influence on art, politics, education and economics.

TJ's position on the US-Mexican border–on the doorstep of Southern California–has ensured it has always been a gateway to the US, but the traffic is two-way as many US residents travel to Tijuana regularly to conduct business, enjoy its inexpensive shopping options, restaurants and bars, and increasingly, take advantage of more affordable medical and dental care here.

Industry in Tijuana is flourishing and none more so than medicine and dentistry. Dental clinics both here and in other strategically placed border towns, like Los Algodones and Mexicali, have seen a steady rise in the number of international patients, tempted by combining a vacation with low-cost medical and dental treatments. Extensive dental services are available here, from general dentistry requirements, such as fillings, to specialist procedures, such as dental implants. 

Location of Tijuana

One of Tijuana’s main selling points is its close proximity to San Diego in Southern California. The journey from San Diego to Tijuana via I-5 S takes approximately 40 minutes (25 miles), and many clinics will offer complimentary transport when spending a minimum amount of treatment, such as dental implants.

San Diego International Airport is also close by, allowing patients from across the US, Canada and even Europe to easily reach the US-Mexico border and enter Tijuana by land.

Who Resides in Tijuana? Is English Spoken?

Tijuana truly is a multicultural city, with residents settling here from North and South America, and from as far away as Europe and Asia. Tijuana boasts a large and growing tourism industry, with areas catering specifically to English-speaking travelers from the US and Canada.

Although Spanish is the main language, many shops and restaurants have menus and signs in both languages. Dentists at our partner clinics can all speak English, with the best ones offering multilingual translation services–so no need to worry about communication issues while in the chair.

How Do I Get Across the Border?

Thousands travel across the border safely from San Diego, accounting for up to 300,000 crossings every day at this border alone. For US or Canadian nationals entering Mexico via land, the minimum documentation required is a valid passport with at least 6 months left before expiry.

Some patients traveling south by highway choose to keep going and drive across the border, while others may opt to leave their car securely parked on the US side; from there, it is possible to walk through customs–which is generally quicker than joining the car queue–and get picked up by a local taxi or by staff from the clinic (as many offer free shuttle services and pick-ups).

For more general information about visiting this vibrant Mexican border town as a dental tourist, see Dental Departures’ Ultimate Guide to Dentists in Tijuana here.

A typical implant procedure essentially involves surgically anchoring a titanium post, which acts like a tooth root, to the jaw bone. A replacement tooth (crown) is then attached to the implant, or in the case of a full-arch restoration, a fixed bridge, which is normally attached to four or six implants.

Procedure Stage 1:

Your dentist will first assess the health of your mouth, including gums and jaw bone with x-rays or CT scans, prior to any implant procedure being undertaken. If there are any problems, your dentist will treat these first.

For the surgery, you will be given a local anesthetic to numb the area where the implant is to be inserted. If the procedure is likely to be extensive, perhaps involving multiple implants, IV sedation may be used to help you feel more relaxed but without falling asleep.

The dentist will then open the gum where the implant is to be fitted before drilling a small hole into the jaw bone. The dental implant is inserted and the gum is stitched over it, then left to heal for a period of time, usually three to six months.

Procedure Stage 2:

After the “healing period,” you will return to your dentist in Mexico who will fit the permanent restoration. This involves opening up the gum to expose the implant and attaching the replacement tooth/teeth. The fitting of the dental crown or bridge (final restoration) can usually be done in one day.

This procedure is much less invasive than the original dental implant surgery, although local anesthesia will again need to be used for opening up the gum tissue. You may be asked to stay in Tijuana for a few days afterward, giving you the chance to visit the dentist again for a general check-up where any adjustments can be made, as required, before traveling home.

Who Is Suitable for Implant Surgery?

It is important to be in good general health and to stop smoking well in advance of the implant surgery; this helps to improve blood flow and helps the process of osseointegration, among other factors.

In certain cases where there is not sufficient bone density (ie. there is not enough viable bone to hold the implant), a patient may need to undergo a bone graft before a dental implant is placed.

Different Types of Dental Implant Treatment

As well as standard implant procedures as described above, our partner dentists in Tijuana offer a flexible range of full and partial mouth restoration procedures. These include:

All-on-4: Following extractions to remove any remaining teeth, four implants are inserted into the top, bottom or both rows of teeth. A temporary, immediate-load denture is then placed and worn for 3-6 months. After this healing period, the patient returns to have a full-arch fixed bridge attached to the now-secure dental implants. This fixed bridge holds a full row of porcelain or ceramic-based crowns, thus permanently restoring the look and function of the teeth.

> Read More: Ultimate Guide to All-on-4 in Tijuana

All-on-6: Similar to the All-on-4, six dental implants can be used in a similar fashion to support a fixed bridge; six implants may be used to increase support in cases where there is less viable bone density.
 

Implant-retained overdentures: Between 2-8 mini implants can be used to hold a removable overdenture in place. Smaller in size, these implants are cheaper and have a quicker healing period compared to permanent All-on-4 restorations; however, they are only used to keep the new teeth from sliding and falling out–rather than permanently securing them to the jaw.
 

Zygomatic implants: Following the same concept as the “All-on-X” technique, these specialized, longer implants are placed into the zygomatic bone (as a last-resort option) in cases where a patient does not have enough viable jawbone. Typically, four zygomatic implants per row can permanently hold a full-arch fixed prosthesis.
 

3-on-6: Three interconnected bridges are used to restore a full arch of teeth; each one is anchored in place by two implants, meaning six are used in total per jaw (hence the name).

> Read More: Ultimate Guide to 3-on-6 in Mexico

Dental Implant Manufacturers

Popular dental implant brands used by our partner dentists in Tijuana include:

• BioHorizons®
• Hiossen® (Osstem Implant
• Dentsply Sirona®
• Zimmer Biomet®
• Nobel Biocare®
• MIS®
• Straumann® (Neodent)

Q. Is it safe to get dental implants in Tijuana?
A. Yes, our partner clinics in Tijuana follow the same strict procedural guidelines as any top dentist in the USA, while clinics only work with specialized implantologists experienced in oral surgery.

Q. How much does it cost to do your teeth in Tijuana?
A. Replacing a single tooth costs $1,200 - $1,800 in Tijuana. Full mouth implants cost approximately $10,000 (permanent set of replacement teeth attached to four implants per jaw).

Q. How long do tooth implants take?
A. The implant surgery itself normally takes 1 or 2 hours. Post-surgery, patients normally wait three or four months before a permanent crown or bridge can be attached (in place of the temporary version). 

Q. Is it painful?
A. Implant surgery is carried out using local anesthesia, so patients won’t feel great pain. In the days following surgery, the gums and jawbone may be a little sore, so painkillers may be prescribed.

Q. Can implants be done in a day?
A. Yes, many patients are able to have a temporary crown or bridge fixed to their implant(s) immediately following surgery. Same-day implants do require a follow-up visit where the temporary prosthesis is replaced with a heavier, permanent version, normally several months later.

First, browse our network of implant dentists in Tijuana, comparing prices and reading online reviews.

Next, to book online, click on the “Book Consultation” button and leave us your details–it’s completely free to do so and we never ask for your credit card details upfront.

Alternatively, use the toll-free number or email address to connect with the Dental Departures Customer Care Team; our representatives can furnish you a personalized, no-obligation quote for your dream smile restoration work in Tijuana.

Sources:

A, Russell. How Much Do Dental Implants Cost? Forbes. 3 October 2022. https://www.forbes.com/health/body/how-much-dental-implants-cost/

American Dental Association. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.ada.org/en

International Congress of Oral Implantologists. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.icoi.org/

All-on-4® treatment concept. Nobel Biocare. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.nobelbiocare.com/en-us/all-on-4-treatment-concept

Is IV Sedation Dentistry Right for You? Colgate. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/anesthesia/is-iv-sedation-dentistry-right-for-you

Bone Graft For Dental Implants: Understanding The Possibility. Colgate. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.colgate.com/en-us/oral-health/implants/bone-graft-for-dental-implants-understanding-the-possibility

Shin, Y.C., Bae, JH., Lee, J.H. et al. Enhanced osseointegration of dental implants with reduced graphene oxide coating. Biomater Res 26, 11 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s40824-022-00257-7

BioHorizons. Website accessed: 2 October 2022. https://www.biohorizons.com/

Trevino, Julissa. Medical Tourism is Booming in Mexico. Pacific Standard Magazine. 9 January 2018. https://psmag.com/economics/medical-tourism-is-booming-in-mexico

Tijuana and the Mexico-US Border Crossing. NASA. 14 April 2018. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/90614/tijuana-and-the-mexico-us-border