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Summit County’s Backcountry Dental promotes candy buy back to benefit troops

Kelsey Fowler
kfowler@summitdaily.com

Americans purchase nearly 600 million pounds of candy every year for Halloween, and one Summit County dentist wants to put those pounds to good use.

From 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 1 at Backcountry Dental in Silverthorne, kids can bring in their extra Halloween candy and receive $1 for every pound of treats. The candy will be sent in care packages to troops overseas.

Dr. Erin Sain said this is her way of getting rid of the excess candy that sits around the house and could lead to cavities, and bigger health issues like diabetes and obesity.



Two big scales will be set up in the office, and Sain is offering giveaways such as toothbrushes, mugs and goodie bags with toys and coupons to local eateries.

There will also be cards available for kids to sign that will be included with the candy for the troops. Sain is working with Operation Gratitude, a nationwide program that sends out the Halloween care packages.



This is Sain’s first year doing a candy buyback. She has two young children, and said she wants to be understanding about expectations while also helping parents who don’t want kids to eat too much candy.

“I want to be realistic about the kids eating candy,” she said. “It’s best to eat some and then get rid of it, so you aren’t just snacking on it all the time.”

Sain said the event serves two great causes: The candy helps the troops and makes children less susceptible to dental decay.

“It’s fun to go out for Halloween, and kids can still do that and keep the candy they want to keep,” she said. “But this helps get rid of the excess which can lead to those cavities.”

Summit Smile Center in Frisco is also offering an opportunity for kids to bring in candy to donate to troops for a free cleaning.


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