Protect Children's Teeth by Donating Halloween Candy to the Troops

If you are left with scores of candy from Halloween's trick or treat and want to help your children from getting yet another sugar high, you may be able to drop off your excess candy at dentist's offices around the nation.

 Due to the fact that candy is bad for children's teeth and waistlines, dentist offices through the United States have started buy back programs. Even though these programs might differ from one another, their main goal is the same: limit candy consumption.

Cash for Candy, the Halloween candy buy back program, works with Operation Gratitude. Dentist offices that sign up pay children one dollar per pound of unwrapped candy. The candy is then sent to troops aboard.

One office is using a raffle system with an iPad as the coveted prize. Another office is offering a gift certificate on top of the dollar per pound system worth $50 for the child who brings in the heaviest bag of candy. The children who place second and third will received a $25 gift certificate each.

Meanwhile dentists are warning parents of the effects of having too much candy.

"Sticky, chewy candies are cavity-causing culprits," Dr. Connie White, a dentist and Academy of General Dentistry spokeswoman, said in an academy news release. "Gummies, taffy, caramel -- they all get stuck in the pits and grooves of teeth, where it's nearly impossible for saliva to wash them away. The longer that candy remains stuck in the teeth, the higher the risk of developing cavities."

In general, children should brush their teeth after having candy. If a toothbrush isn't handy, give children a glass of water to wash away the sugars.