Brunswick KiDDS' annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back

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As part of its mission to help kids maintain their beautiful little smiles, Brunswick KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry is buying Halloween candy back. (Photography by Benjamin Margalit/Margalit Studio)

By Laura Briedis

As everyone is getting ready to pass out candy to the trick-or-treaters who will come knocking this Halloween, one local business is bucking the trend and actually doing the opposite—buying candy back from children.

As part of its mission to instill healthy habits at an early age, Brunswick KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry is committed to providing the best oral health care.

“We are buying back the candy kids collect during Halloween and teaming up with Operation Gratitude, a nonprofit that sends care packages to U.S. military troops around the globe, to donate the candy,” explains Dr. Milton Ntragatakis, founder of Brunswick KiDDS. 

“We are not only helping those serving our country, but we are also helping kids improve their oral health at the same time.” 

The dentists will be buying back candy on Friday, November 3, from 1 to 3 p.m., in their office. Brunswick KiDDS will pay children $1 per pound of candy, and they also will donate 50¢ per pound to the child’s school. The limit is five pounds of candy per child. 

“You don’t have to be a patient to participate in the program. It is open to the community,” says Dr. Milton. 

“We want kids to get dressed up in costume and have fun trick-or-treating, but encourage them to consume candy in moderation. This way, we can preserve the fun part of Halloween and at the same time make sure your home is not inundated with a massive amount of candy. The kids decide how much they want to sell back and how much to keep.”

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As we all know, consuming an excessive amount of candy is bad for your health. What may be surprising, however, is that what creates cavities is not the amount of sugar you eat as much as the frequency of consumption.

Scientifically, Dr. Milton explains, cavities happen when the pH on the tooth surface drops below 5.5 and the acidity erodes the enamel. Our saliva helps neutralize the acid, but it takes some time between the acid being formed on the tooth and the saliva neutralizing it in order for the pH to rise again.

“You can eat a whole bag of M&M’s in 30 minutes and go brush your teeth and you probably will be fine,” says Dr. Milton. 

“However, if you snack on them a little at a time all day long, your teeth are 10 times more prone to cavities from that same bag of candy.”

This Halloween buy-back program is just one of the ways Brunswick KiDDS makes fun a part of its core values.

“We want to make going to the dentist fun,” says Dr. Milton, who is known to belt out a song or two when treating patients, which helps to put them at ease. 

“We even try to make filling cavities more fun by using pain-free, needle-free laser dentistry. We incorporate fun into everything we do, whether it is a filling, cleaning, braces or an Invisalign treatment.”

As pediatric dentists, Dr. Milton and Dr. Brittany Heffernan specialize in the treatment and prevention of dental disease, as well as the overall oral health of children. In addition to treating existing dental problems, they focus on prevention through patient and parent education.

“We provide all of the educational tools for our patients to enjoy a cavity-free future,” says Dr. Milton. 

Brunswick KiDDS Pediatric Dentistry is located at 1824 Pearl Road in Brunswick. The office takes all major insurances. To make an appointment, call 330-220-6363 or visit BrunswickKIDDS.com for more information. Hours are Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Saturday, 8 a.m.-noon.