What happens at a first dental consultation
If you are crossing a border for dental work, this is the appointment that tells you what the trip actually needs.
What it is
A consultation is an examination of the teeth, gums and bite, with X-rays where they are needed, so the dentist can see what is actually going on rather than guess from the outside.
Here it is a thirty minute appointment, it costs 50 USD, and X-rays are included. It is deliberately separate from treatment, because the point is to find out what is needed before anyone commits to doing it.
Why not just book the treatment
Because what you think you need and what you actually need are not always the same, and that gap is expensive when you have driven across a border for it.
A tooth that seems to need a filling may need a root canal. A tooth that seems to need extracting may be savable. And some treatments need two appointments rather than one, which changes the shape of the whole trip.
Booking a treatment you turn out not to need, or planning one visit for something that needs two, is the most common way a trip for dental work goes wrong.
What you should leave with
What the problem is, in plain language. What the options are. How many appointments each would take and how they can be scheduled. And what it will cost, before you agree to it.
If you do not leave with those four things, the consultation has not done its job. That is true of any dental practice anywhere, not only this one.
Language
Both English and Spanish are spoken here, so you do not need to bring someone to translate, and you should not be agreeing to treatment you have not fully understood.
If anything is unclear during the appointment, ask for it again. That is not an imposition, it is the appointment working properly.
Practical details
We are open Monday to Friday, 9am to 2pm and 4pm to 7pm, and Saturday 9am to 2pm. Sonora keeps the same clock as Arizona all year, so those are Arizona hours too.
If you are coming from the Arizona side, check the border queue before you leave rather than after. The wait to get back can be longer than the appointment, and walking across is frequently much faster than driving.
More guides
Which dental treatments need more than one visit?
Which dental treatments can be done in a single appointment and which genuinely need two, so you can plan a trip across the border around them.
Read →Is it safe to get dental work in Mexico?
An honest look at what actually determines whether dental care in Mexico is safe, and the specific things worth asking any clinic before you book.
Read →Crossing at San Luis for a dental appointment
What the San Luis crossing is actually like, why walking is usually faster than driving, and how to time an appointment so you are not stuck in the queue.
Read →Not sure what you need?
A consultation is 50 USD and includes X-rays. You leave with a plan, and how many visits it will take.