Trick-or-treaters may relish their hard-earned Halloween haul, but a local dentist is offering to let kids trade their candy for cold, hard cash.

On Nov. 1-2 from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., the staff of Southern Dental at 705 Rome St. in Carrollton will purchase candy from children for $1 per pound at the front desk. The candy collected will be shipped to soldiers overseas as part of Operation Gratitude.

“Ditch the candy, that’s what we’re saying. Visiting your dentist twice a year and brushing daily are great preventive measures, but doing away with excess sweets altogether would really give your teeth a healthy boost,” says Dr. Tammy Armstrong Williams of Southern Dental. “Kids can still have all of the fun of trick-or-treating, and now their piggy banks will benefit as well.”

Carolyn Simon, hygiene coordinator, said the staff worked together to create the idea and the doctors were very enthusiastic about it.

“We push no sugar with the children. We thought they might be willing to part with their sugar for money,” she said. “We will also be giving children American flags or patriotic bracelets with their candy.”

Simon said the staff is excited about the program because it offers children an alternative to eating the candy.

“We don’t want it taken from the children; we want the children to do this from their hearts,” she said. “We want the children to make the sacrifice.”

In addition to the candy, the staff will be sending toothbrushes and toothpaste and banners for the troops signed by patients. Simon said she didn’t expect to see so many patients who were willing to sign the banner, so she’s pleased to see what kind of response the office receives from the candy buy-back.

The volume of a pound of candy will depend on how it is packed and what is inside. The office will buy chocolate, but it cannot be sent overseas because it melts in transit. Military personnel may keep the candy or pass it along to the children they interact with while on duty.

“There are children in some countries who may have never seen candy before,” Simon said. “The point of this is to get as much candy as we can to send to the boys overseas.”

Each year, consumption of sugar by the children increases by about 2 percent annually and currently sits at 50 million tons per year. In addition to causing cavities, candy can lead to hyperactivity and weight gain. In some cases, the wrong types of candy can also lead to broken teeth and damaged braces.

For more information, call 770-832-2353 or visit Southern Dental online at www.southerndentalpc.com.