Cosmetic Dentistry Articles from
Boulder Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Gordon West

Cash for Halloween Candy
5 QUESTIONS for Gordon West, dentist
Caitlin Coleman

In an effort to combat post-Halloween candy consumption and cavities, two local dentists will buy trick-or-treaters' excess candy.

Kids who bring their candy to Drs. Gordon West and Marc Alber will get $1 per pound, plus a goodie bag, a Firefly toothbrush and a chance to win other prizes in a raffle. The dentists will then ship the candy to the troops overseas, along with any letters or drawings that the kids include.

The Camera talked to West, whose office is in Lafayette, about the idea.

1. Has your office done this in the past?

Dr. Alber, the other dentist doing this, did it last year. He had tons of kids, so we're trying to get a couple offices so that we're able to handle everybody.

2. Are kids happy to trade their candy in, or do parents force them to come?

Oh no, the kids were loving it last year because we were taking all the candy that they really don't like and they're getting money for it. We're having them trade in the candy, but we're hoping to give them a lot of stuff that they might even like better.

3. Is this a good deal for the kids?

Oh absolutely. We're going to set up little stations at the back of the office where they can draw and write little notes to the troops. It is extremely popular. Our goal is to do this every year so the kids will know they can go out and collect candy and get something backfor it. The entire effort is just to cut down on candy consumption.

4. Is it damaging to the teeth to eat just one piece of candy every day?

The candy consumption spikes after Halloween because most kids have about 10 pounds of it, and what usually will happen is that the kids will just have constant candy in their mouth. It's that constant exposure where the real problem starts.

5. Do you have a list of troops who will be receiving the candy?

There are a lot of dentists across the country doing this, this year. I think they just distribute it when the Army gets it, which we thought is kind of a cool thing because they get a little piece of life back here in America. And also, the main thing is, they can give little treats to little kids out there in Iraq who have probably never seen anything like this.

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