Detouring The Halloween Sugar Rush

Halloween night thousands of youngsters will head out to trick-or-treat for bags of candy. The excess sweets can possibly lead to sugar related health and dental problems such as cavities.

Some parents have developed their own tricks for dishing out the Halloween treats.

“Out of site, out of mind, baby!” said Odenton’s Megan Evans on the Crofton Patch Facebook Page. “We let them have some and then put it away, I guess you could say we hide it,” she added.

“I put it all in a big bowl and we eat it until it's gone,” said Karen Gilmore. “My kids are all picky so it seems to work because one does not like chocolate, one loves candy corn, and one loves Smarties.

Sarah Pleffner says her husband helps make her preschool-aged kids’ sugary snacks disappear. “We don't take them to a ton of houses so they don't get a lot either. After the first week or so they kind of lose interest,” Pleffner added.

“After Halloween night we allow one piece of Halloween candy a day, said Crofton’s Jaime Busciglio. She rations out the candy for her 3- and 6-year-old daughters.

“Our general rule is one serving of junk food a day so they are used to it and don't give us much fuss about it,” said Busciglio. “I usually give away most of their candy by February.”

Crofton’s Sharon Wanamaker also sorts through and donates the Halloween candy in her house for health reasons.

“I bag up all the really sticky stuff mostly for orthodontic reasons, and send the bag to work with my husband. His warehouse employees love it!” said Wanamaker.

Turning Tricks into Treats for the Troops

If you’re looking to give away your kids candy like Wanamaker and Busciglio you may want to head to the.

The Crofton dental office is offering kids a chance to cash in their candy and help local servicemen and women serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.The is hosting a Halloween Candy Buy Back Nov. 1-7 at the Defense Highway location.

“It’s a way for the kids to get rid of the candy that may not be good for them or their orthodontic treatments and do something good to help the troops,” said office administrator Debbie Mandrich.

The buy back program exchanges children’s Halloween candy for one dollar per pound. That candy will then be shipped to Anne Arundel County troops with family ties to the dental office staff.

The also plans to match each dollar the kids earn and donate that amount to a local YMCA.

Avoiding a Scary Smile

If parents are going to allow children to eat Halloween candy, Mandrich advises:

• Eating sweets in moderation
• Brushing after eating candy
• Avoiding sticky and gummy candy that may damage dental work.

The Halloween Candy Buy Back Program’s Facebook event page has more details on the fundraiser.