Children's Dentistry

At Exceptional Dentistry, we enjoy treating children of all ages and helping them get a healthy, positive start with their oral care. The first experiences your child has with a dentist will form their attitude about taking care of their teeth that will last a lifetime.

Our goal is to make children’s dentistry in Wilmington, DE a fun and stress-free adventure for your son or daughter. We’re aware that everything we do makes an impression on your child, and we want it to be positive.

Baby Teeth Are Building Blocks for a Healthy Smile

Starting at about age one, your child’s first baby teeth will emerge. While baby teeth are coming in, permanent teeth are already forming in your child’s jaw. When permanent teeth are ready to erupt, baby teeth will loosen and fall out.

Baby teeth hold space for permanent teeth to give them plenty of room to erupt normally. However, if your child loses a baby tooth too soon because of decay, this space starts to close as existing teeth drift into it. Now the permanent tooth doesn’t have its own space and can come in at odd angles or crowd surrounding teeth.

Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayley are gentle children’s dentists in Wilmington, DE and will approach your child slowly and patiently. When they’re ready to let us look in their mouths, we’ll take a look to check for problem areas that might need our attention. We’ll be happy to educate you about the best oral hygiene practices and nutrition so you can support your child’s oral health at home.

When your child is a toddler, you should focus on keeping their teeth and gums clean and starting to let them get used to oral hygiene. Make food choices that support good health and limit sweets that can cause cavities. 

Fluoride and Dental Sealants

In addition to excellent oral hygiene and routine dental exams and cleanings at our Wilmington, DE dental office, we also offer other preventive treatments to protect your child’s smile.

Fluoride is a mineral that is essential for keeping your children’s teeth strong and healthy. If Dr. Matthews and Dr. Bayley determine that your son or daughter isn’t getting sufficient fluoride from food and tap water, they will recommend a topical fluoride application.

Dental sealants are an excellent treatment that we use to protect your child’s healthy teeth. A sealant is a thin protective plastic coating that we apply to the chewing surfaces of teeth like molars that have deep grooves that are prone to cavities. The sealant acts as a barrier that prevents bacteria and food particles from coming into contact with the tooth surface and causing cavities. We can use dental sealants on baby teeth and healthy permanent teeth. The coating wears away on its own and will need to be replaced every few years.

Schedule Your Child’s Dental Checkup

We love treating children of all ages at our Wilmington, DE dental office. Please call us at (302) 797-1212 to arrange an appointment for you and your child to stop by and get to know us.