The Checkup: Dentist Offers Cash for Candy

That's one way to fight cavities

When I was a kid, my dentist would give me the hard sell about the importance of flossing and brushing in circular—not up-and-down—motions. At the end of every appointment, I could pick a plastic toy from the treasure chest, which I usually lost in the car by the time I got home.

Never, ever did he offer money to bribe me out of getting cavities. But that’s just what an Ohio dentist is doing this Halloween, offering kids a dollar for every pound of candy they turn in. When you break it down, it’s kind of a rip-off, considering that a bag of bite-size Snickers costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $5 or $6—but no matter. Kids can get up to $5 from Mansfield dentist Craig Callen plus a raffle ticket for a chance to win a new bike. And yes, Callen’s giving out free toothbrushes, too.

Read more, and get the rest of today’s health headlines, on Be Well Philly.