Dr. Sunitha Sirivolu and Dr. Manoj Patel of Family Dentist of Palm Beach are supporting Operation Gratitude, which is a national program that sends candy to U.S. active-duty troops stationed overseas.
Family Dentist of Palm Beach will buy back excess unopened Halloween candy that can lead to kids’ cavities. It’s a solution that families can take to the bank.
Family Dentist of Palm Beach is partnering again this fall with the national Halloween Candy Buy Back program, which lets trick-or-treaters trade in their excess candy for gifts. The collected candy will be sent to U.S. military personnel serving overseas through Operation Gratitude. Last year, Family Dentist of Palm Beach took in 90-plus pounds of candy to send to American troops.
Again this Halloween, trick-or-treaters can bring their excess candy to the Family Dentist of Palm Beach office in the Farm Credit building in Royal Palm Beach and receive $1 per pound in exchange for their loot.
Each participating child will also receive a goody bag with a toothbrush and toothpaste.
Dr. Sirivolu will have supplies on hand for children to write a note to a service person, which will be sent along with the candy.
“Families want their children to enjoy the fun of trick-or-treating, but many are at a loss what to do when they wind up with more candy than they want children to consume,” Dr. Sirivolu said. “We think this program offers a terrific solution to this annual dilemma, and it’s a win-win situation for parents and for our troops as well.”
Unopened candy will be collected at Family Dentist of Palm Beach on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 9 to 11 a.m. There is a limit of 9 pounds per family, and commercial outlets are excluded.
“Parents know that daily brushing and flossing, combined with twice-a-year visits to the dentist, will help limit the onset of cavities,” Dr. Patel said. “But limiting excess sweets can go a long way toward preventing tooth decay, as well as to establishing dietary habits that can help over a child’s lifetime.”
Operation Gratitude annually sends 100,000 care packages filled with donated snacks, entertainment items and personal letters of appreciation addressed to individually named U.S. service members deployed in hostile regions, to their children left behind and to wounded warriors recuperating in transition units.
Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude volunteers have shipped more than 815,000 packages to American military deployed overseas. Visit www.operation gratitude.com for more information.
The founding principle of Family Dentist of Palm Beach is treating the dental needs of individuals, while educating patients about the relationship between their oral health and their overall systemic health. For more info., call (561) 666-4190 or visit www.familydentistpalmbeach.com.
