Dr. Robert Miller is up to his usual Halloween tricks.
An oversized poster of a black cat with freakishly yellow eyes greets his patients as they walk past his green Miller Orthodontics sign.
Inside his spooky lobby, a sign that reads “Haunted House” points patients to the treatment area. Cotton cobwebs with plastic spiders decorate the ceiling while skulls with blue and purple bandanas rest on the patient records cabinet.
Miller, a Culpeper orthodontist, wants to do two things this “haunting holiday” — reduce children’s sugar intake and give a sweet gift to American troops overseas.
Miller has a proposal for young candy collectors: He will purchase Halloween candy at $3 per pound on Nov. 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at his office, 1100 Sunset Lane, Suite 1110.
“By eliminating hard candy, it minimizes the chance of breaking braces off,” Miller said Monday morning while examining a patient’s teeth.
Miller plans to send the candy to Soldiers’ Angels, a nonprofit organization that mails care packages to military personnel.
Wearing a white disposable mask and dental telescope around his neck, Miller said it’s all about beating other orthodontists during the two-day statewide contest to collect the most candy.
“Every year, we try to one up the other,” Miller said. “My buddy in northern Virginia had 30 more pounds than us last year. So we’ve got to beat him this year.”
The days following Halloween are usually an orthodontist’s busiest time for emergency calls. Miller hopes this idea will reduce orthodontic emergencies while helping children, especially those wearing braces, enjoy the holiday.
Rhonda Simmons can be reached at 825-0771 ext. 125 or rsimmons@starexponent.com
Extra candy?
What: Halloween buy-back
Where: Miller Orthodontics, 1100 Sunset Lane, Suite 1110 (behind the Rite Aid at the corner of U.S. 29 and Sunset Lane)
When: Nov. 3 and 4 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Worth: $3 per pound
Oral hygiene tips
» Brush after each meal
» Use a soft toothbrush with firm pressure
» Brush at a 45-degree angle
» Brush in small circles above and below the brackets
» Floss often
Wear braces? Try to avoid:
Caffeinated sodas, caramels, Sugar Daddies/Sugar Babies, Starbursts, Licorice, toffee,
Tootsie Rolls, Now & Laters,
nut popcorn, bagels, corn on the cob, pizza crusts, Doritos, pretzels
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