Tuesday, November 13, 2007
For information contact:
Aimee DeVoll, 314-552-6744
adevoll@webershandwick.com Pam Paladin, 314-993-1700, ext. 524
ppaladin@aaortho.org Sweet Tooth: Orthodontists Haul in the Candy this Year
16 tons of candy to be collected during annual Candy Buy Back Program
St. Louis, MO ? If you think your orthodontist?s office is the last place you?ll see gooey chewy sugary treats ? think again. For the 11th year, several members of the American Association of Orthodontists (AAO) are participating in a candy buy-back program. The annual program, which takes place immediately after the Halloween season, encourages patients to bring their ?tricky? treats into their orthodontist?s office and exchange them for braces-friendly alternatives such as movie tickets, gift certificates or cash. This year, participating orthodontists expect to collect more than 32,000 pounds ? or 16 tons ? of candy.
?Each October the AAO encourages all orthodontic patients to have a fun and safe Halloween, but to keep in mind that all treats are not braces-friendly. If you have braces or a retainer, you should avoid any foods that are sticky, chewy, hard or crunchy,? says William C. Gaylord, DDS, MSD, orthodontist and president of the AAO. ?The candy buy-back gives our patients the opportunity to exchange their non braces-friendly Halloween candy for something in return.?
So what happens to all of that candy?
According to the AAO, much of the collected candy is donated to local organizations and charities while some is sent overseas to sweeten the lives of those serving in the armed forces.
The 2007 candy buy-back projection is based on the number of AAO members who planned to participate this year in the buy-back program (642) and the average amount of candy collected per participating member in 2006: 50 pounds.
For more information, including braces-friendly tips and recipes, or to find an orthodontist near you, visit www.braces.org.
About the AAO
The AAO comprises 15,500 members in the United States, Canada and abroad. Founded in 1900, the AAO supports research and education leading to quality patient care and promotes increased public awareness of the need for and benefits of orthodontic treatment. Orthodontists are uniquely qualified to correct improperly aligned teeth and jaws. They are specialists in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of dental and facial irregularities. Orthodontists receive two to three years of specialized education beyond dental school to learn the proper way to align and straighten teeth. Only those with this education may call themselves ?orthodontists,? and only orthodontists may be members of the AAO. For more information about orthodontic treatment and the AAO, visit www.braces.org.
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