Edmonton dentist fights tooth decay with candy bounty

An Edmonton dentist wants to buy your children's Halloween candy.

Dr. Sean Bhasin, owner of Spearmint Dental, started the practice in 2014, after he noticed a post-Halloween spike in tooth decay in his two sons.

"They would go Halloween trick-or-treating. They'd come home with bags full of candy, be excited about what loot they had," Bhasin told CBC's Edmonton AM.

"This would go on for weeks after, all the way to Christmas. They would nibble on it, a little here little there, and the next thing you know, a few months later we have a check-up, and sure enough they're getting cavities."

He initially enticed his kids to give up their loot in exchange for a video game. But for the larger public, he offers a cash reward: $2 for every pound of Halloween candy brought to his office.

Bhasin said he is not opposed to Halloween or candy. Kids should be allowed go nuts on Halloween night as far as he's concerned.

"I love costumes. I love all the spooky stuff. But the consistent exposure to sugar is a problem," he said.

"It's not so much the volume that they're consuming, but the frequency that's more detrimental to the enamel. Ultimately, sugar is broken down by bacteria in our mouth and that turns into acid. And it's the acid that erodes the enamel and that's how the cavity begins."

Diseases such as obesity and diabetes can result from sugar addiction, Bhasin added.

Trick-or-treaters and their parents can bring candy to either of Spearmint's offices, in south Edmonton at 11440 17th Ave., or in west Edmonton at 7554 178th St. between 8 a.m. and 8:30 p.m., the day after Halloween.

The annual Halloween candy buy-back event is more than just a candy dump, he said. Kids can come in and get a toy, healthy snacks and the chance at winning some door prizes. 

Most kids are actually pretty excited about it, Bhasin said. "They look forward to coming in, they look forward to getting some prizes. It's a fun atmosphere.

"And they look forward to getting the cash, of course."

For those unable to attend on Nov. 1, Bhasin's offices will accept candy during regular business hours for the rest of the week.

Last year alone, Spearmint Dental accumulated 400 pounds of candy at its south Edmonton location, and 150 pounds at its west Edmonton location.

And no, Spearmint Dental's associates aren't gorging on the Halloween castoffs of their young clientele.

"I've had numerous offers to use that candy for one thing or another or send it to our soldiers. But sometimes these guys are out there in difficult places where there is no access to dental care, so to expose their teeth to all this candy doesn't make sense," Bhasin said.

So, until he gets a better offer?

"It all goes in the trash." 

Listen to Edmonton AM with host Mark Connolly, weekday mornings at CBC Radio One, 93.9 FM in Edmonton. Follow the morning crew on Twitter @EdmAMCBC