Growing up, dentists were the Scrooges of Halloween. There was always that one house you avoided because there was a dentist behind the door giving out toothbrushes and dental floss in an attempt to remind kids of the damage they were doing to their teeth. It was a total sugar buzz kill. Some dentists have come up with a better way to help kids eat less candy while donating to a charitable cause.
According to Time Newsfeed, “some dentists are buying back kids’ stashes [of candy] for $1 per pound to reduce the number of cavities in youngsters and shipping the unopened sweets to U.S. soldiers overseas through Operation Gratitude,” which was founded by Wisconsin dentist Chris Kammer.
I am not a soldier and have never fought for my country overseas, but I can only imagine how hard the men and women of our military must work and what horrors they face. While candy is not a permanent solution to lift the moods of our troops, it certainly helps.
According to Halloweencandybuyback.com, “You will be putting smiles on the faces of our warriors during an otherwise difficult time away from home. They are and we will be forever grateful.” Not only are they away from their families, but I imagine it would be difficult for them to celebrate holidays like Halloween. Our troops should not have to lose their holidays just because they are protecting our country overseas. They have already sacrificed enough. They at least deserve a Snickers.
Donating candy to Operation Gratitude is also a good idea if you’re stuck with a lot of candy you don’t like. It beats having to negotiate with siblings. A soldier deserves a chocolate bar more than your brother or sister does, and they are less likely to try to snag all of your good candy, as well.
The program appears to have a lot of support. According to Halloweencandybuyback.com, they “received and shipped 127.5 tons” of candy last year. With all that candy, I am surprised the troops are not just using it to build tanks. For those of you worried about the massive amounts of candy ruining the teeth of our service men and women overseas, do not worry. According to Time Newsfeed, “the troops will also receive floss, mouthwash, toothbrushes, and toothpaste.” If you are going to make a soldier smile with joy, you might as well make sure it is a healthy smile.
If you want to help the troops but want to keep the candy for yourself, there are other items you can send. According to Halloweencandybuyback.com, there is a list of other items the program is looking for including: “commercially seal Lip Balm, Beanie Babies/Webkinz or other stuffed animals, hand-knit/crocheted scarves and hats, socks (dark colors are best), small packages of beef jerky, energy/protein bars, individual packets of hot cereal, DVDs/CDs, and personal letters of appreciation.” Lip balm and beef jerky might seem small and insignificant, but the fact that you took time out of your day and money out of your wallet to give a gift to a member of our armed forces means a lot. I am sure whatever you send, whether it be socks or thank you letter, will brighten the day of whomever receives your package.
If you do choose to keep your candy, there are ways to make sure your next candy binge does not end with a mouth full of cavities. Brushing after eating can reduce the risk of getting a cavity.
“You can’t get a cavity in a short amount of time with a handful of exposures to candy,” Kammer said in the Time Newsfeed article. Sour candies can do a lot of damage to your teeth. Steffany Mohan, a West Des Moines dentist who is participating in a candy buyback program, said in an article on DesMoinesRegister.com, “Sour candies are also a poor choice due to the high acidity that breaks down tooth enamel.” Candies like taffy, gummies and those that are generally sticky and chewy were also noted to be bad for teeth.
According to the article on DesMoinesRegister.com, if you are going to have candy, make it hard candy or lollipops. The saliva you create by sucking on the candies prevents dry mouth, which can lead to plaque buildup. Dark chocolate also has many antioxidants, which, according to DesMoinesRegister.com, “are good for the heart and lower blood pressure.” Finally, Mohan noted that sugar-free gum, “can also help prevent cavities by dislodging food particles from between teeth.”
I admit that the buyback program will not stop the onslaught of cavities, but it does some good in the world. It is the best strategy I have seen from dentists to stop kids from eating so much candy. If you go trick-or-treating this year and have candy you do not want to eat, consider donating it to the troops overseas.
Jake Koniszewski can be reached at john.koniszewski@spartans.ut.edu