At the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore's Zoo Boo, Rachel McGee laughs as her daugher, Grace McGee, 9, dressed as Simon of Alvin and the Chipmunks, reacts to local dentists' candy buy-back program. (Baltimore Sun photo by Kim Hairston / October 23, 2009) |
E-mail
Print
For Joel Nathanson, the most frightening part of Halloween is not the ghoulish disguises, creaking haunted houses or dangling skeletons. It's the candy.
"Nobody needs to eat that much candy," said Nathanson, a Timonium dentist and father of three. "Sticky candies, especially, remain in the mouth a long time and contribute to decay."
This year, Nathanson is offering to buy candy from little witches and goblins. As part of a national program, Nathanson will pay children a dollar for a pound of sweets and hand them fancy flashing toothbrushes. The candy he collects will be sent to troops overseas.
"This is a way we can teach children about dental hygiene and prevent them from overindulging," Nathanson said.
While parents welcome a way to limit the candy that their children - and themselves - consume, children have mixed opinions about giving up their Skittles, Twizzlers and Pixie Stix.
When asked whether he would like to sell his candy, Jordan Frazier, who was attending the Maryland Zoo's Zoo Boo event Friday, lifted his Halloween mask to reveal a frown.
"Is my candy going to be all gone?" the 5-year-old asked, his lower lip quivering.
But when his mother, Jennifer Frazier, explained that the candy would be sent to members of the military such as his father, the boy said that he would gladly contribute some candy.
"I will give three pieces of candy to everybody my daddy works with," said Jordan, who was dressed as the Joker from "Batman."
For Kiera Lane, a seventh-grader from Middle River, the program is a great way to get rid of unwanted candy. The 12-year-old, who dressed as Little Bo Peep for the zoo event, wears braces, so chewy candies like Starbursts and caramel creams are out of the question. She's not too fond of Smarties either.
"But I'll keep the chocolate," said Kiera, adding that she hauls home enough candy to fill a crab pot. Her mother, Kelly Lane, said the family usually has Halloween candy around until Easter, when they toss it to make room for chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.
The idea is not to ask the children to give up candy altogether, but to reduce the amount of sweets they eat, explained Nilda Collins, an Annapolis pediatric dentist who is participating in the buy-back program for the first time this year.
"If they eat candy every day for months, they're going to be in trouble," said Collins. "Whether we like it or not, sticky candy is one of the culprits for tooth decay."
Tooth-weakening acid is produced in the mouth for about a half-hour after candy is eaten, Collins said. If children snack on candy over several hours, the teeth are bathed in acid for longer periods of time, increasing the chance of decay.
Parents should instruct kids to limit candy to a short time each day and to clean their mouths immediately afterward, Collins said.
"I always tell trick-or-treaters, 'Don't forget to brush and floss your teeth tonight,' but I don't know if they hear me before they run off to the next house," she said.
For Nancy Carr, a public relations consultant from Rodgers Forge, the candy buy-back is a good way to handle her family's perennial Halloween dilemma. Her 6-year-old son, Eamon, is allergic to nuts, so each year he must leave out most of his candy for the Great Pumpkin who leaves a present in its place.
The national event is organized by Wisconsin dentist Chris Kammer. According to his Web site, participating dental practices collect an average of 500 pounds of candy, with some receiving as many as 6,000 pounds. The sweets will be mailed to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to soldiers.
As for the troops who receive the candy, Nathanson has a few words of advice: "We hope they'll brush their teeth afterward, too."
"Nobody needs to eat that much candy," said Nathanson, a Timonium dentist and father of three. "Sticky candies, especially, remain in the mouth a long time and contribute to decay."
This year, Nathanson is offering to buy candy from little witches and goblins. As part of a national program, Nathanson will pay children a dollar for a pound of sweets and hand them fancy flashing toothbrushes. The candy he collects will be sent to troops overseas.
"This is a way we can teach children about dental hygiene and prevent them from overindulging," Nathanson said.
While parents welcome a way to limit the candy that their children - and themselves - consume, children have mixed opinions about giving up their Skittles, Twizzlers and Pixie Stix.
When asked whether he would like to sell his candy, Jordan Frazier, who was attending the Maryland Zoo's Zoo Boo event Friday, lifted his Halloween mask to reveal a frown.
"Is my candy going to be all gone?" the 5-year-old asked, his lower lip quivering.
But when his mother, Jennifer Frazier, explained that the candy would be sent to members of the military such as his father, the boy said that he would gladly contribute some candy.
"I will give three pieces of candy to everybody my daddy works with," said Jordan, who was dressed as the Joker from "Batman."
For Kiera Lane, a seventh-grader from Middle River, the program is a great way to get rid of unwanted candy. The 12-year-old, who dressed as Little Bo Peep for the zoo event, wears braces, so chewy candies like Starbursts and caramel creams are out of the question. She's not too fond of Smarties either.
"But I'll keep the chocolate," said Kiera, adding that she hauls home enough candy to fill a crab pot. Her mother, Kelly Lane, said the family usually has Halloween candy around until Easter, when they toss it to make room for chocolate bunnies and jelly beans.
The idea is not to ask the children to give up candy altogether, but to reduce the amount of sweets they eat, explained Nilda Collins, an Annapolis pediatric dentist who is participating in the buy-back program for the first time this year.
"If they eat candy every day for months, they're going to be in trouble," said Collins. "Whether we like it or not, sticky candy is one of the culprits for tooth decay."
Tooth-weakening acid is produced in the mouth for about a half-hour after candy is eaten, Collins said. If children snack on candy over several hours, the teeth are bathed in acid for longer periods of time, increasing the chance of decay.
Parents should instruct kids to limit candy to a short time each day and to clean their mouths immediately afterward, Collins said.
"I always tell trick-or-treaters, 'Don't forget to brush and floss your teeth tonight,' but I don't know if they hear me before they run off to the next house," she said.
For Nancy Carr, a public relations consultant from Rodgers Forge, the candy buy-back is a good way to handle her family's perennial Halloween dilemma. Her 6-year-old son, Eamon, is allergic to nuts, so each year he must leave out most of his candy for the Great Pumpkin who leaves a present in its place.
The national event is organized by Wisconsin dentist Chris Kammer. According to his Web site, participating dental practices collect an average of 500 pounds of candy, with some receiving as many as 6,000 pounds. The sweets will be mailed to Operation Gratitude, an organization that sends care packages to soldiers.
As for the troops who receive the candy, Nathanson has a few words of advice: "We hope they'll brush their teeth afterward, too."
Digg
Twitter
Facebook
StumbleUpon
