Getting Dental Implants in Mexicali from the U.S.: Trips, Timeline and What to Bring

If you live in Calexico, El Centro, Brawley, Yuma or anywhere in the Imperial Valley, getting a dental implant in Mexicali means several trips across the border over 3 to 6 months, not one weekend. The implant is placed at one visit, your bone is given time to bond with it, and then the final tooth goes on. With some planning, most of those visits can fall on a Saturday.

Why an implant can’t be finished in one trip

The implant is not the tooth. It is a titanium root placed inside your jawbone. For it to handle chewing forces, the bone has to grow around it and lock it in place. That process is called osseointegration, and it takes 3 to 6 months depending on your bone, whether you needed a bone graft, and the protocol your doctor chooses.

That is why you should be careful with any offer of “implant and permanent tooth in one weekend” as a general rule. In some cases the implant can go in the same day a tooth is pulled (an immediate implant), but that depends on your bone, on whether there is infection and on the doctor’s judgment. Even then, the bone needs time to heal before the permanent tooth.

How the visits usually break down

Every case is different, but a typical single-tooth implant looks like this:

Stage	What happens	When
Exam	We check your mouth and bone and send you a written plan with the cost	First visit
Surgery	The implant is placed (plus a bone graft if needed)	Once you approve the plan
Stitches out	We check how the gum is healing	Day 7 to 14
Check-ups	We confirm the implant is integrating	Month 1 to 3
Final tooth	Impression or scan, then the crown about 2 weeks later	Month 3 to 6

Some cases need a minor procedure to uncover the implant before the impression, or a bone graft first, which adds time. We explain all of this at your exam, so you know how many crossings to plan before anything starts.

Planning your crossings without missing work

• Saturdays. Dr. Fidel Machado, the implantology and prosthodontics specialist who places implants at our office, works mainly on Saturdays (and some weekdays). Our Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
• Same clock as California. Mexicali is on Pacific Time, so your appointment time is the same on your phone on both sides of the border.
• Close to the port of entry. We are at Calz. Cuauhtémoc 317, Local 1, Col. Cuauhtémoc Sur, about 3 miles from the Calexico West (downtown) crossing, with parking nearby.
• Leave room for the wait back. The line to return to the U.S. can be long, especially on weekend afternoons. Don’t book anything tight right after your appointment.
• Surgery day, no rush. Plan to go home and rest for the first 24 hours. If you can, bring someone with you and keep the next day free: swelling peaks on day 2 or 3.

What to bring to your exam

• A photo ID and your border-crossing document.
• A list of your medications, especially blood thinners, bone medications (for osteoporosis) or diabetes medication.
• Recent X-rays or a CT scan if you have them. You can send them ahead by WhatsApp.
• Any treatment plan a U.S. dentist already gave you. It helps us see what was proposed.
• Your questions written down. The exam is there so you leave knowing exactly what you need.

When we confirm your appointment, you get a link to fill out your medical history on your phone, so you don’t spend time at the front desk.

How payment works

You can pay in U.S. dollars, cash or card, or in Mexican pesos, with debit, credit or bank transfer. The implant, the crown and any graft are listed separately in your written plan, and nothing is done until you approve it. Our list prices are published on our price list. The exact cost of your case depends on what we find at your exam, for example whether you need a bone graft. For the details, read what a dental implant costs in Mexicali.

We send your receipt by WhatsApp and can issue a Mexican tax invoice (CFDI) if you need one.

Recovering at home, on the U.S. side

You recover at home, so it helps to know the rules before surgery day:

• Liquid diet for the first 3 days, then very soft food until day 14, chewing on the other side.
• No smoking or vaping nicotine. Tobacco is the main cause of implant failure.
• No alcohol for at least 2 weeks (and while on antibiotics), and no intense exercise for 72 hours.
• Short flights after the first day are generally fine, but tell us at your exam if you have travel planned close to the surgery.

We send you our dental implant aftercare guide in English by WhatsApp. If you have bleeding that won’t stop, a fever, swelling that keeps growing after day 4, or the implant feels loose, message us with a photo. The warning signs are explained in signs of a failing dental implant.

At our office in Mexicali

Our office belongs to Dr. Jesara López, a dental surgeon who graduated from UABC. In 2026 we have made 41 treatment plans with implants or bone grafts, and 58% of Dr. Fidel’s appointments were patients with U.S. phone numbers: planning treatment around border crossings is routine for us. A prosthodontist, a periodontist and oral surgeons work in the same office, so if you need a difficult extraction or a graft, we don’t send you somewhere else.

Our front desk answers WhatsApp in English and Spanish. Once your crown is on, you get our implant crown care guide for the years ahead.

See the full treatment on our dental implants in Mexicali page.