Sell Us Your Halloween Candy
MINT HILL, NORTH CAROLINA—Candy hoarders from all over can make a quick buck by selling us their leftover candy through Nov. 16.
Carolina Kids Dentistry is hosting a Halloween candy buy back program and all collected candy will be shipped to U.S. troops proudly serving in Afghanistan.
“Any time I can encourage certain types of candies from the hands of my patients, it makes my day,” Dr. Malley says. “Sticky, chewy candies are on my hit list because they tend to stay on the teeth for longer periods of time; this longer exposure time is what makes us prone to cavities.”
Now that lots of patients have a sizeable Halloween candy stash, we ask you to hand over the candies that stick around the longest: toffees, taffies, and anything else that is chewy and sticks to your teeth, like Starburst and Skittles.
Why are we picking on these certain candies, you ask? It’s because they tend to remain on the teeth for a longer period of time and can be more harmful than softer candies such as chocolates, which wash away more easily with saliva. Chewy candies get stuck in the grooves of your teeth and promote plaque growth. Hard, sticky candy can also wreak havoc on your dental work, including crowns and orthodontic appliances.
As good as they may taste, we’ve worked to make it worthwhile to surrender those goodies.
“We will pay participants a dollar for every pound of candy that is brought in,” says Dr. Malley. “Unfortunately for our young entrepreneurs, there will be a five dollar limit. That doesn’t mean they can’t bring in more than five pounds of candy, though. The more, the merrier.”
You could say that Dr. Malley has connections, since the candy is being sent directly to a U.S. Army captain (the spouse of a high school friend) serving in Afghanistan. This is his fourth tour of duty overseas.
“It’s exciting to send the candy to someone serving our country overseas who we know,” says Dr. Malley. “I can’t wait to receive and share feedback from him after he gets our care package.
Those interested in participating can bring their candy to our office during normal office hours.
Remember: choosing treats that are sugar free is one way to help reduce the amount of harmful bacteria your mouth has to fight. It’s also a good idea to brush after eating sweets. If you can’t do that, rinsing your mouth with water is a good idea.