Dentists Collecting Leftover Candy to Send to Troops

Now that Halloween and trick or treat is just about over, you may be wondering: Is there something I can do with all this leftover candy to avoid paying $400 the next time I bring my children to the dentist? 

If that's crossed your mind, or if you're just in the mood for a little good will, you're in luck, as Operation Gratitude has launched a Halloween Candy Buyback program that is collecting sweet treats from all over the country to send to deployed members of the armed forces.

Local dentist practices are also participating in the program, which will include hygiene kits as a part of 60,000 care packages that'll be sent out in the upcoming weeks and months. Last year, Operation Gratitude received and shipped 125 tons of candy as part of the program, and according to its website, they "need tons of candy, literally, to fill" this year's packages.

Here's how the program works:

• Participating dentists "buy" back kids' Halloween candy at a scheduled event.
• They "buy" the candy with cash, coupons, toothbrushes and creative exchanges. They can partner with local businesses to give away coupons for food, services, goods, etc. They can give away the Hygiene Kits, they can set up an Opportunity Prize (each kid gets a ticket per pound of candy for an opportunity drawing to win special prizes), etc.
• Dentists send the candy to Operation Gratitude or other military support groups.
• Operation Gratitude sends the candy to U.S. military members deployed in harm's way.

The following dental practices near you are participating:

Dental Designs Of New England
297 Daniel Webster Hgwy, Merrimack, NH, 03054
Phone: (603) 429-2199
Email: Admin@ddne.net

Landmark Dental Care
283 Broad Street, Nashua, NH, 03063
Phone: (603) 882-7312
Email: info@landmarkdentalnashua.com

Bobo's Indoor Playground Partnering with Sterling Smiles Dentistry
522 Amherst Street, Nashua, NH, 03062
Phone: 603-718-8721
Email: info@bobosindoorplayground.com

Other participating offices can be found using the program's zip code "look-up" feature, located at the top right of this page.

The program urges residents to call practices before driving over with Halloween candy, though, as some practices many have concluded their buyback event and are no longer accepting candy.

More details about the types of items the program is seeking is available here.

If you participate in the program, be sure to upload a photo of your candy to this story so those serving overseas can see what the area is sending them!

Also be sure to tell us in the comments where you dropped off your candy so we can add donation locations to this story.