Marketing plan · Del Mar

Dental direct mail in Del Mar:
a new patient plan for dentists

By Best Direct Mail, San Marcos · Numbers from USPS and the US Census Bureau

Del Mar is one of the smallest and most expensive cities in San Diego County, a village of beach cottages, custom homes and bluff-top views, with the fairgrounds and racetrack at its north end. Many residents have lived here for decades, some are here only part of the year, and few are shopping on price. The 92014 ZIP Code is larger than the city, though, and also covers Del Mar Heights and Del Mar Terrace in the City of San Diego, where families with children make up much of each street.

So the plan has two halves: careful, well-designed cards for the city itself, and family cards for the Heights. Below we start with the public numbers for 92014, including how many new movers arrive in an average month, then go neighborhood by neighborhood: who lives there, which services fit and how to mail them. After that come a new movers plan, a year of mailings and what every dental postcard in California should include.

Dental postcard offering complete care for the whole family, including cosmetic, restorative dentistry and implants — Complete care, from cosmetic work to implants, for a coast of long-time residents. (design DEN-13)

Get beautiful healthy teeth you'll love postcard with a smiling woman and offers for a $99 whitening kit, a free water flosser and a $99 exam — Beautiful teeth you'll love: a cosmetic card for Del Mar's higher-income streets. (design DEN-8)

Dental postcard of a smiling family with coupons for $50 off the first visit, free whitening, free x-rays and a free toothbrush — A family welcome card for Del Mar Heights and new movers across 92014. (design DEN-6)

Del Mar by ZIP Code

ZIP Code	Homes (routes)	Households with children	Median household income	New movers a month (average)	Residents 65 or older
92014 Del Mar, plus Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Terrace and nearby San Diego neighborhoods	6,409 (13)	22%	$198,823	about 54	30%

What the columns tell you:

Households with children: where a family practice, children's checkups and back-to-school cards will do best.
Median household income: higher incomes point to cosmetic work, aligners and implants. Lower incomes point to clear prices, payment plans and the insurance you take.
New movers a month: about how many households move to a new home in the ZIP Code in an average month. This is the size of your monthly new movers mailing.
Residents 65 or older: where implant, denture and consultation cards belong.

These figures cover whole ZIP Codes, and single routes inside them can be quite different. Our EDDM® route planner shows income, age, household size and the share of families with children for every route before you choose.

Homes and carrier routes are from the USPS EDDM® route map. Households with children, income, new movers and residents 65 or older are US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates for the ZIP Code area. New movers a month is the number of residents who moved into a different home in the past year, turned into households and divided by 12.

New movers: on average about 50 households move to a new home in these ZIP Codes every month. Many of them will be looking for a new dentist.

What a mailing costs: $2,682 for 5,000 homes with our recommended 8.5 × 11 EDDM® postcard, including printing and postage. See our EDDM® prices for other quantities.

What to mail in each neighborhood

The Beach Colony and North Beach (92014)

West of Camino del Mar and north toward the river mouth and the racetrack, the beach streets have older cottages, new custom homes and condos steps from the sand. Many are second homes or vacation rentals, and full-time residents here are mostly adults who care how their smile looks.

What to offer: whitening, veneers and aligners, with a private consultation and easy online booking for people who split their time between homes.
How to mail: a list of owners at their own mailing address. EDDM® on the beach routes reaches many guests and tenants who will be gone in a week.

Don't be selfie-conscious postcard with a woman smiling into a hand mirror, a dentist, free whitening with the next cleaning, 25% off the first appointment and $50 off the first visit — Don't be selfie-conscious: a whitening card for owners of the beach homes. (design DEN-15)

Olde Del Mar and the south bluffs (92014)

The historic heart of the city, around the Village and south along the bluffs, has winding streets, mature trees and custom homes, many with ocean views. Many residents bought decades ago and are now retired, and they tend to stay with a dentist they trust.

What to offer: implants, crowns and dentures, a free consultation, and whether you accept Medicare Advantage dental plans. A personal card with the dentist's photo and own words works better here than a coupon.
Timing: September, before the holidays and the year-end benefits rush.
How to mail: a list filtered by age, or EDDM® on the routes that are mostly single-family homes. The area is small enough that every card should feel personal.

Dental postcard with three generations of a family and coupons for free whitening, $50 off, free x-rays and a free toothbrush — Healthy and strong for life: a card for long-time residents of Olde Del Mar. (design DEN-5)

The Del Mar hillsides (92014)

East of Camino del Mar, the hillside streets have homes from the 1950s through the 70s on large, sloping lots, many with views and many rebuilt. Residents are often professionals and empty nesters with high incomes, and they expect the newest technology and a calm, comfortable visit.

What to offer: implants, veneers and aligners, with modern technology, gentle care and a free consultation. Before and after photos of your own patients, used with permission.
How to mail: EDDM®. Most hillside homes are lived in by their owners, and the routes reach them at the lowest postage.

Experience professional dentistry, state-of-the-art technology and gentle care postcard with a collage of dentists at work, $50 off the first visit, 25% off the first appointment and free whitening — Technology and gentle care: an implant and cosmetic card for the hillsides. (design DEN-12)

Del Mar Heights (92014)

Just south of the city and east of the freeway, Del Mar Heights is part of San Diego but uses the Del Mar ZIP Code. It is mostly 1960s and 70s single-family homes, many remodeled, with more homes than the city itself and many families with children in the local schools.

What to offer: one practice for the whole family, children's checkups and sealants, and aligners or whitening for the parents. Evening and Saturday hours matter to working parents.
Timing: back-to-school checkups in July and August, and "use your benefits before they reset" in October and November.
How to mail: EDDM®. Nearly every home is a household that could be your patient, so whole routes are the cheapest way to reach them.

Dental postcard with a smiling family, a child at the dentist, $50 off the first visit and free whitening — Care for the whole family: a back-to-school card for Del Mar Heights. (design DEN-4)

Del Mar Terrace (92014)

Also part of San Diego, Del Mar Terrace sits next to Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, a small neighborhood of single-family homes on hilly streets with condos nearby. Families, long-time residents and people who work at the research campuses around Torrey Pines all live here.

What to offer: a general new patient offer that works for every age, with the insurance plans you accept and early appointments for commuters.
How to mail: EDDM® on the routes that cover the neighborhood. It is small, so one or two routes reach most of it.

A healthy smile starts with healthy teeth postcard with a row of eight smiling faces and offers for a free new patient exam, cleaning and x-rays, a $59 consultation and $199 teeth whitening — A healthy smile for everyone: a card for the mixed streets of Del Mar Terrace. (design DEN-1)

New movers in Del Mar: a monthly mailing

Moving is one of the main reasons people change dentists. In 92014 that happens every month, as families buy into Del Mar Heights, owners rebuild and move back in, and new residents arrive from out of town. The table above shows about how many households move to a new home in 92014 in an average month.

Choose the area: the new movers within a few miles of your office, usually 92014 plus the nearest parts of Solana Beach, Carmel Valley and Torrey Pines.
Mail every month: each card reaches people within their first weeks in a new home, while they are still choosing.
Make it a welcome: "Welcome to Del Mar" with your new patient offer, the insurance you take and how to book.

See how many new movers are on file around your office in our mailing list planner, or ask us for a monthly price. We print and mail them for you every month.

Professional dental care for the whole family postcard with a dentist and child patient and $50 off the first visit — A monthly welcome card for families new to Del Mar Heights. (design DEN-2)

EDDM® or a mailing list in Del Mar?

It depends on how many of the homes on a route could become your patients:

EDDM® for the neighborhoods where people live full time. In Del Mar Heights, Del Mar Terrace and the hillsides, almost every household needs a dentist. EDDM® reaches them all at the lowest cost per card.
A mailing list for the beach and for narrower services. Near the beach, many homes are second homes or vacation rentals, and only a list sent to the owner's own address reaches the owner. A list filtered by age or income also fits implants and cosmetic work.
New movers every month, on top of either one.

A year of dental mailings in Del Mar

When	Who gets it	What the card says
Every month	New movers around your office	Welcome to the neighborhood, with your new patient offer, the insurance you take and your hours
January to February	The neighborhoods closest to your office	New year, new dental benefits: book your cleaning and exam
March to April	Higher-income neighborhoods	Whitening and cosmetic work before spring weddings, graduations and summer photos
July to August	Family neighborhoods	Back-to-school checkups and sealants for kids
September	Neighborhoods with many older residents	Implants, dentures and a free consultation
October to November	Your own patients, then the nearby neighborhoods	Use your dental benefits before they reset on January 1

You don't need every mailing. Most Del Mar practices start with the monthly new movers card and one neighborhood mailing, then add the others once they see which brings in patients. Our dental direct mail guide has more offer ideas for each one.

Healthy teeth and gums for the whole family postcard with children holding smile photos and a complimentary exam offer — Healthy teeth for the whole family: a year-end benefits card for Del Mar Heights. (design DEN-9)

What every Del Mar dental postcard should include

The dentist or practice name, so it is clear who is offering the service. Dental advertising in California must not be false or misleading.
"Specialist" only for real specialists. An orthodontist or oral surgeon can say so. A general dentist who offers implants or aligners should describe the service without suggesting a specialty.
Offers spelled out: what a new patient special includes, who it is for (new patients only, patients without insurance) and when it ends.
No waived co-pays or deductibles as an offer. That can break dental plan contracts and insurance rules.
The plans you accept, including Medi-Cal Dental if you take it. For many families it is the first thing they check.
Where you are in Del Mar, with a landmark people know, your hours and whether you see children, evenings or Saturdays.

These are general points, not legal advice. Your dental association or a healthcare attorney can confirm the exact wording of your offer, and we adjust any design to match.

Dental postcard designs

Start from one of our ready-made dental postcards. We add your logo, offer, license number and photos, send you a proof, then print and mail it. Need a custom design, or have your own? Just let us know.

Dental marketing plans in other cities

Del Mar at a glance

Homes and mail routes: About 6,400 homes on 13 routes
New movers: About 50 households a month
Best areas: Families: Del Mar Heights and Del Mar Terrace. Cosmetic work: the beach, the hillsides and Olde Del Mar. Implants and dentures: Olde Del Mar, the south bluffs and the hillsides.
What it costs: $2,682 to mail 5,000 homes by EDDM®
Where to start: A monthly new movers card plus one EDDM® mailing to Del Mar Heights or the hillsides.

Frequently asked questions

How many new movers are there in Del Mar each month?

The table above shows about how many households move to a new home in 92014 in an average month, from US Census Bureau estimates. It is a good guide to the size of a monthly new movers mailing. The exact count for the area around your office is in our mailing list planner.

Where should a family dentist mail in Del Mar?

Del Mar Heights has many families with children and is easy to reach by EDDM®, because nearly every home there is a household that lives there full time. Del Mar Terrace is a small addition next door.

Where should I mail implant and denture postcards in Del Mar?

Olde Del Mar, the south bluffs and the hillsides have many long-time, older residents. Use a mailing list filtered by age, or EDDM® on the single-family routes, with a personal card rather than a coupon.

Should I mail the beach homes and vacation rentals in Del Mar?

Only with a list. Many beach homes are second homes or vacation rentals, so EDDM® there reaches guests who will be gone in a week. A list sent to each owner's own mailing address reaches the person who could become your patient. Summer and race-season visitors rarely do.

Do you serve Del Mar?

Yes. Our print shop is in San Marcos, about 30 minutes from Del Mar, and we print and mail for dental practices across San Diego County. We take EDDM® mailings to the Post Office that delivers your Del Mar routes.

Get a quote for your Del Mar mailing

Tell us which neighborhoods and services you want to focus on. We'll reply with a price for printing and mailing, and the routes or list we recommend.

Dental direct mail in Del Mar:a new patient plan for dentists