Mendham Dentist to Buy Back Halloween Candy; Offers Tips on Protecting Teeth

One way to keep the spookiness of cavities at bay after Halloween is to sell the candy to Dr. Fenichel, who will send it overseas to American troops.

For the third year, Jockey Hollow Dentistry will participate in Operation Gratitude, a national program in which dentists across the country buy back Halloween candy from trick-or-treaters and arrange for the candy to be shipped to troops in combat areas overseas. 

Under the program, Dr. Fenichel will pay $1 a pound for Halloween candy from trick-or-treaters up to 16 years old. Children must bring their candy – up to eight pounds – to the office with a parent. Adults may donate extra candy, sealed lip balm, toothpaste, toothbrushes, dental floss, small stuffed toys, personalized letters and other items.

Meantime, here are some tips for you to make Halloween a little less scary to children’s teeth:

• Think about giving something healthy. Consider sugarless treats, like gum with xylitol or sorbital, or pencils or pennies.

• Sour and fruity candies like Starbursts and Skittles not only have sugar in them, they have low pH, which means they can erode tooth enamel.

• Limit the amount of candy your child eats.

• After eating candy, have your children brush their teeth or rinse with water or milk. Milk has a high pH which offsets the acidity in candy.

• This is a good time to reinforce the need for good tooth brushing and flossing habits.

For more information about Operation Gratitude, go to www.operationgratitude.com. You can see a video about the candy buy-back here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0zRWXl7cdA

For more information about Jockey Hollow Dentistry's Halloween Candy buy-back program, call the office at (973) 542-4828.