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Cash for candy: Orthodontist to buy back patients' Halloween haul

Kids, troops and homeless to benefit

Robert C. Reed

Orthodontist Dr. David White plans to buy back Halloween candy from his patients.

CANDY, SNACKS TO AVOID

• Hard candy and candy with caramel or nuts

• Chewy candy like taffy and licorice

• Gum — Sugar-free and regular flavors

• Hard pretzels

• Nuts

• Tortilla chips

By Richard Gould | Hickory Daily Record

Published: October 30, 2009

HICKORY - Turning bags of Halloween candy into piles of cash is this year's goal for the patients of a local orthodontist.

Hickory orthodontist Dr. W. David White is offering his 2,500 patients $1 per pound for their Halloween candy. He's also committed to donate an additional $1 per pound to Holy Angels — a Gastonia charity serving children and the homeless.

"My heart, my passion is for the homeless," he said.

The candy White collects will be shipped to troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, said Tracy Duval of White's office.

White said he's doing the buyback to help four groups: His patients, his staff, the Holy Angels and the troops.

"I hope it does really well because we'd love to expand it next year," he said. "If it goes well, I would like to donate to more organizations." He'd also like to expand the candy buyback to the entire community, not just his patients.

White said he's not sure what to expect during the buyback's inaugural year, but his patients are eager to get started.

One asked, "If I bring you 50 pounds of candy, will you give me $50?" White assured him he would.

"When we buy back Halloween candy from our orthodontic patients, we help them avoid the potential for harming their braces or teeth. It's a fun way to reward our patients for their efforts to prevent tooth decay and reduce appliance breakage on Halloween," he said. "In addition, we help out a local charity."

Not all candy is off-limits though.

Plain chocolate or soft peanut butter cups are OK, according to White, but he still cautions those with braces should remember to brush and floss after they partake.

In the days following Halloween, children and adults flood the nation's orthodontists' offices to have their broken braces fixed after eating every destructive delicacy, he said.

White hopes buying back his patients' candy will eliminate some of those emergency calls while cutting down on tooth decay.

The buyback is scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday from 5 to 7 p.m. at White's office at 1063 13th St., SE.