Halloween Candy Buy-Back Offered by El Cerrito Dentist

Seeking to prevent cavities and candy overload, an El Cerrito dentist is offering to buy back unopened Halloween candy for a dollar a pound.

Dr. Linh Cao-Chan will conduct the buy-back at , 10110 San Pablo Ave., on Wed., Nov. 2, from 3:30-6 p.m.

"What prompted it was my son," Cao-Chan told Patch. "He's seven. He came home last year with about five pounds of candy."

"I ended up shucking a lot of it," she added. "I didn't want him eating all of it."

This year, inspired by other dentists she heard of doing it elsewhere, she decided to conduct a candy buy-back. She will donate the treats to U.S. troops overseas through Operation Gratitude, which sends care packages to U.S. armed forces abroad.

“I had a veteran, cavities aside, tell me it’s a really nice thing to do,” she said. “The soldiers really appreciate it. It reminds them of home. On Halloween, it’s not likely they’ll get candy in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

Soldiers presumably take better care of their teeth on average than kids may, plus they will be getting far less candy than kids here do on Oct. 31, she said.

Those who bring in candy for the buy-back also will receive goodie bags containing toothbrushes, toothpaste, glow sticks and Angry Birds stickers.

A flyer for the event says, “Parents, are you worried about what to do with all the candy your children have gotten on Halloween night? Instead of letting them eat all the candy (and watch for cavities!), how about coming to our office, where we’ll buy back the unopened sweets.”