Marketing plan · National City

Dental direct mail in National City:
a new patient plan for dentists

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

National City is one of the oldest cities in San Diego County, with Victorian homes around Heritage Square, postwar houses on the east side, and a waterfront that is part of Naval Base San Diego. More homes here are rented than owned, many households are families with children, and people move in and out every month, from sailors with new orders to families looking for a bigger apartment a few blocks away.

For a dentist, that means patients who choose a practice for practical reasons: it is close, it takes their plan, and it can see the whole family. Below we start with the public numbers for 91950, 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, what it costs and what every dental postcard in California should include.

Dental postcard with a smiling couple and offers for a free exam, a $99 cleaning and free x-rays — Free exam and a clear cleaning price, for the blocks closest to your National City office. (design DEN-7)

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 the households moving into National City every month. (design DEN-6)

Dental postcard offering complete care for the whole family, including cosmetic, restorative dentistry and implants — Complete care under one roof, for a city where grandparents, parents and kids share a home. (design DEN-13)

National City by ZIP Code

ZIP Code	Homes (routes)	Households with children	Median household income	New movers a month (average)	Residents 65 or older
91950 All of National City, plus Lincoln Acres	18,469 (30)	37%	$66,426	about 135	15%

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 130 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

Central National City, Las Palmas and El Toyon (91950)

In the middle of the city, around Las Palmas Park, El Toyon Park and the schools nearby, most homes are single-family houses from the 1920s through the 1950s, with duplexes and small apartment buildings along the busier streets. These are the city's family neighborhoods, and many homes have children, parents and sometimes grandparents under one roof.

What to offer: children seen, one visit for several family members, and the plans you accept, including Medi-Cal Dental if you take it. A clear price for families without insurance helps too.
Timing: back-to-school checkups in July and August, when parents are already thinking about forms, shots and new shoes.
How to mail: EDDM® to the routes closest to your office. Renters need a dentist as much as owners do, so whole routes work well here. Compare routes in the EDDM® route planner for 91950.

Dental postcard with a smiling family, a child at the dentist, $50 off the first visit and free whitening — A back-to-school card for the family blocks around Las Palmas and El Toyon. (design DEN-4)

West National City, near the Navy base (91950)

Toward I-5, the bay and the base, homes mix with apartments, duplexes and businesses, and most residents rent. Many are young adults, including sailors and civilian workers at the base and the shipyards, and many stay only a year or two before moving on.

What to offer: a simple new patient price, same-week and emergency visits, and early or late hours for shift workers. Military family members often have the TRICARE Dental Program, so if you are in its network, say so.
How to mail: new movers every month, plus EDDM® on the routes nearest your office. With so many people arriving, the newcomers are the ones still looking for a dentist.

Turn that frown upside down! postcard with two smiling young women, a large tooth model and a $69 new patient special for an exam, cleaning and x-rays — A $69 new patient special for the young renters and Navy workers of West National City. (design DEN-11)

Old Town and the historic core (91950)

Between National City Boulevard, 8th Street and 24th Street, around Heritage Square and Kimball Park, the oldest part of the city has Victorian homes, Brick Row and bungalows from the 1920s through the 40s, mixed with apartments and shops. Many homes have been in the same family for decades, and older residents live next to young renters.

What to offer: care for every age in one practice: checkups for the kids, repairs and dentures for the grandparents. Say which plans you take and that staff can help in Spanish, if they can.
How to mail: EDDM® on the routes around your office. If your practice is near the boulevard, these are the blocks people walk or take the bus from.

Dental postcard with three generations of a family and coupons for free whitening, $50 off, free x-rays and a free toothbrush — A card for three generations, for the long-held family homes near Heritage Square. (design DEN-5)

East National City, toward Paradise Valley (91950)

On the east side, toward Paradise Valley Hospital and Plaza Bonita, most homes are single-family houses from the 1940s through the 60s on quieter streets, with more owners and more long-time residents than the rest of the city. Older adults here are a good audience for restorative work.

What to offer: implants, dentures and repairs, with a free consultation, and whether you accept Medicare Advantage dental plans. Payment plans matter to people on fixed incomes.
Timing: September for an implant and denture card, then a benefits reminder in October and November.
How to mail: EDDM® on the east side routes, which have more long-time residents, or a mailing list of older adults across the city.

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 — Gentle care and modern technology: an implant and denture card for the east side. (design DEN-12)

Lincoln Acres (91950)

A small pocket of county land surrounded by National City, with single-family homes on residential streets. It shares the 91950 ZIP Code and mail routes with the city, and residents shop, work and see the doctor in National City.

What to offer: the same family card you send to the east side: new patients welcome, the plans you accept and your hours.
How to mail: include it in a wider east side EDDM® mailing. It is too small for a mailing of its own, but it is easy to add.

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 simple card for Lincoln Acres and the east side. (design DEN-1)

New movers in National City: a monthly mailing

Moving is one of the main reasons people change dentists, and in National City people move often: Navy households with new orders, renters changing apartments and families moving in from elsewhere in the South Bay. The table above shows about how many households move to a new home in 91950 in an average month.

Choose the area: the new movers within a few miles of your office, usually National City plus the nearest parts of Chula Vista, Paradise Hills and Logan Heights.
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 National City" with your new patient offer, the plans you accept and how to book, in English, Spanish or both.

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 National City new movers: $50 off the first visit. (design DEN-2)

EDDM® or a mailing list in National City?

For most dental mailings in National City, EDDM® is the better choice. A realtor has to skip renters, but a dentist doesn't: every household needs a dentist, whether it owns or rents.

EDDM® for the neighborhoods around your office. National City is compact, and patients choose a dentist they can reach quickly. Whole routes near your office reach them at the lowest cost per card.
A mailing list for a narrower service. Implant and denture cards fit only some households. A list filtered by age reaches older adults across the city without paying for every home.
New movers every month, on top of either one.

Many households here speak Spanish at home. A card with English on one side and Spanish on the other, or a Spanish version of the same card, is an option worth considering if your staff can answer the phone in Spanish.

A year of dental mailings in National City

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 National City 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 National City card for the year-end benefits reminder. (design DEN-9)

What every National City 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 National City, 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

National City at a glance

Homes and mail routes: About 18,500 homes on 30 routes
New movers: About 130 households a month
Best areas: Families: Las Palmas, El Toyon and central National City. Young adults and Navy households: West National City. Implants and dentures: East National City and Lincoln Acres.
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 the routes around your office.

Frequently asked questions

How many new movers are there in National City each month?

The table above shows about how many households move to a new home in 91950 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 National City?

Start with the routes closest to your office, then the family neighborhoods around Las Palmas and El Toyon. Because so many households rent, EDDM® is the simplest way to reach families: it reaches every home on a route, owner or renter.

Where should I mail implant and denture postcards in National City?

East National City, toward Paradise Valley, has more long-time residents than the rest of the city and is easy to reach by EDDM®. To reach older adults elsewhere in the city, use a mailing list filtered by age.

Should my dental postcard be in Spanish in National City?

It can help. Many National City households speak Spanish at home, and a card with English on one side and Spanish on the other reaches both without a second mailing. Only promise Spanish on the card if someone at your office can answer in Spanish.

Do you serve National City?

Yes. Our print shop is in San Marcos, and we print and mail for dental practices across San Diego County, including National City. We take EDDM® mailings to the Post Offices that deliver your routes.

Get a quote for your National City 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 National City:a new patient plan for dentists