Plan To Trade Your Kid’s Halloween Candy Without Causing an Uproar

Kids have been working hard at their costumes and Trick and Treat neighborhood route.  They know the houses who give out the good candy and remiss them all year.
Once the candy haul is in they meticulously compile their loot.  Parent dread looking at the heaps of candy fearing the impact of those sweet treats on their teeth and health. “It’s OK to eat that candy on Halloween but it’s important to have a plan,” says Burlington MA dentist Dr. Sarita Malhotra.

Before you let the kids eat all the candy they collect have a plan that will keep our little ones mouths health all year around.

1. Plan on eating Halloween candy (and other sugary foods) with meals or shortly after mealtime. Saliva production increases during meals and this helps neutralize acids produced by bacteria in our mouth and rinse away sugar and food particles. Snacking on candy all day not good for your dental health or diet.
2. Plan to choose candy carefully since hard candy can stay in your mouth a long time. The longer the time the candy stays in our mouth the increased risk of tooth decay.
3. Plan to avoid sticky candies, since these can cling to your teeth and stay for a long time increasing the risk of tooth decay.
4. Plan to get rid of the candy stash after Halloween day. Let the kids pick a few favorites and donate the rest.  Organization like Operation Gratitude will send candy to troops overseas.  Modern Smiles Dental Care is a location accepting candy take-back for Operation Gratitude.  For the little ones we have a Halloween Trade-back that will entice them to part way with their candy.
5. Plan to take care of your teeth for the rest of the year, that includes drinking plenty of water, maintaining a healthy diet, brushing and flossing twice a day.
6. Plan on visiting your dentist, dentist can catch problems early before when they are easy to “treat” and dental prevention beats treatment very time.

Here is some information about Operation Gratitude.  The program was created a decade ago and has expanded massively since. Today, roughly 3,000 dentist offices and other businesses around the country participate as drop-off—and payout—sites for Halloween booty. In general, the way the program works is that children bring some or all of their trick-or-treat candy over to a participating dentist’s office for a trade-in.  Organizations and adults can also drop candy at Modern Smiles Dental Care.   The candy is then divvied up into care packages that are sent to troops overseas with the help of a partner group called Soldiers’ Angels.  It’s a win win plan for everyone !!!  Kids are also encouraged to write letters to soldiers abroad—hopefully to cheer them up, not to make them feel guilty about taking candy from children.  Lets start selling this plan to the little one now 😊

Dr. Sarita Malhotra a dentist in Burlington MA at Modern Smiles Dental Care treats both children and adults.  She takes pride in promoting holistic dental care, dental self-care strategies and practices that get to the core of the problems in our mouths–preventing issues from taking root and gently restoring dental health.  Dr. Sarita Malhotra has a patient-friendly philosophy, which focuses on aesthetics, affordability and a commitment to total oral health. By incorporating advanced technology with meticulous compassion, and pain-free dentistry.  Dr. Sarita Malhotra offers patients the smiles they dreamed about because she loves to see you smile.  In her office Dr. Sarita Malhotra does Invisalign, crowns, fillings, implants.  She accepts various dental insurance plans and is open for tooth pain emergencies.   Please call our office at 781-505-1900 to Schedule an appointment today!

Mark your calendar, the Halloween Candy Give Back runs from 1st – 15th Nov, 2017.  We hope to see boxes full of candy !