Joe and Melissa Wilson have opened All Kids Dental off Godwin Boulevard and already are surprised by the feedback from the community.

“We’re pleasantly surprised with how many people have noticed us and how many people have come and signed up as patients,” Joe Wilson said. He is the dentist at the practice, and his wife, Melissa, works at the front desk and is a hygienist.

Wilson said he believes he is the only pediatric dentist on his side of Suffolk and thinks people have responded so well because of the demand and location.

“We’re in a good spot,” he said. “It’s good for people that don’t want to drive half an hour east to find the next pediatric dentist.”

Wilson graduated from dental school at the University of Minnesota in 2008. Since then, he has been working at several dental practices in Portsmouth but felt the need to strike out on his own.

“Over time, you develop a desire to be your own person and do things the way you want to do things,” he said.

The process of starting his own business has been long, but it’s all been worth it in the end, Wilson said.

“There’s a lot to learn when you first start out,” he said. “But it’s more meaningful when you own the place.”

All Kids Dental’s office features bright colors and books and iPads with kids’ games in the waiting room. Patients get to pick a toy when they leave.

Wilson said it is important to have dentists who focus only on pediatric patients.

“We will take all kids 17 and under,” Wilson said. “We don’t turn anybody away for any reason.”

The office is used to serving patients with developmental delays and high anxiety about the dentist, Wilson said.

“With all those fears and anxieties come a certain amount of behaviors a lot of dentists would rather not deal with,” Wilson said. “Those types of kids are normal for us.”

Wilson said he focuses on why the child is afraid. Often, it’s a particular tool or piece of equipment, and Wilson is able to allay the child’s fears by showing the tool up close and explaining what it does.

“We don’t deny them their feelings,” he said. “We want positive feelings of dentistry in general. We don’t want it to be a place they dread. That’s the last thing we want.”

The office is located at 2999 Corporate Lane.