Properties of electrostatic waves in ultracold neutral plasmas (UNPs) are examined, taking accounting the polarization force arising from interactions between the thermal electrons and strongly coupled ions. It is found that the polarization force reduces the phase speed of the modified dispersive ion-acoustic (M-DIA) wave in UNPs. Possibility of the ion-lattice formation in the presence of the M-DIA wave is discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.