Dentist wants to collect kids' candy for troops
Dentists like a lot of things.
They like people who floss.
They like patients who, when told to "spit," know it means into the bowl and not, say, on the dentist.
They like Crest by a ratio of three-to-one, or whatever those old commercials used to claim.
What they hardly ever like, though, are all those sugary goodies that find their way into your trick-or-treat bag at Halloween.
It's not that the folks at the Naperville office of Dr. Hitesh Patel don't want you to sneak a Snickers this holiday season.
They just want you to consider setting aside a portion of those treats and bringing them in from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 1 to The Art of Dentistry, 1060 E. Ogden Ave.
The dentist and his staff plan to collect your extra Halloween candy and then send it to our troops overseas as a reminder that we're still thinking about them.
"It's a way of thanking the troops because they do so much for us," said receptionist Lynn Smith, who's serving as spokeswoman for the program. "We want to make their day a little brighter."
And there'll be something in it for you, too, Smith says.
Patel will pay donors $1 for each pound of unopened candy they bring in on that day. In addition, his office will distribute bags full of freebies that include coupons from area merchants and a "firefly" toothbrush that flickers while you scrub your molars.
Smith says the office is hoping to collect 100 pounds of candy and will work with an outside agency that knows the ins and outs of getting such donations to our troops.
"Hopefully it will exceed our estimates," Smith said. "It's a chance for kids to do something good with the candy they otherwise might just stash away."
The only fear, of course, is that youngsters might keep all the good stuff and just bring in candy corn and the really icky stuff the crabby old guy down the block hands out.
If that happens, Smith says, the dentist will kick in to add a few more popular treats to the packages for the troops.
"We might have to embellish a little," she said.
Smith says the dentist's staff plans to have a big basket to collect the candy, a professional scale to weigh it, and otherwise do everything possible to make the event a pleasant experience for kids.
The staff might even try to sneak a little educational handout into those goodie bags to help take a bite out of tooth decay.
"It's going to be fun," Smith said, "and it's going to be painless."
How to help
What: Donate candy for our troops
When: 3:30 to 5 p.m. Nov. 1
Where: The Art of Dentistry, 1060 E. Ogden Ave., Naperville
The plan: You'll collect $1 for every pound of wrapped Halloween candy you donate
Info: (630) 305-7500