This is the second year that the Savage orthodontists at Cosmopolitan have offered the program, which is designed to entice young patients to donate candies that might be harmful to their orthodontic treatment to American soldiers serving overseas.
“Offering the buy-back program serves a couple of purposes for us,” said Dr. Jennifer Eisenhuth, an Eagan and Savage [orthodontist, who opened Cosmopolitan Orthodontics in 2009. “It removes the temptation for patients to eat sticky, chewy candies and can damage their braces, and it gives us a chance to show our soldiers that they are in our thoughts and that we appreciate the sacrifices they make to keep us free.”
Candies such as taffies, caramels and other chewy sweets can can break or bend wires, pull brackets off of teeth, and damage fixed retainers, said Dr. Trudy Bonvino, a partner with Cosmopolitan Orthodontics and a Savage, MN braces provider.
In an effort to include her staff in the contest, Cosmopolitan employees must guess how much candy will be donated by patients this year. Last year’s contest resulted in close to 800 pounds of candy being collected and sent to troops.
“As is the case every year we’ve held this program, our generous patients donate candy that truthfully, they could have kept for themselves because it was safe to eat with braces, Bonvino said. “Once they learn who gets the donated candy, they tend to be more generous with their donations.”
Cosmopolitan’s patients are rewarded for their generosity. For every pound of candy each patient donates, they receive tokens that can be used to acquire items such as gift cards and toys.
Patients who want to donate during this year’s program may do so at either Cosmopolitan Orthodontics location on Nov. 1, between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Then it will be shipped- along with toothbrushes- to soldiers in Iraq.
“We wouldn’t feel right giving them candy and missing the opportunity to promote good oral health,” said Bonvino, a Savage, MN Invisalign, expert. “We like to share the message that it’s OK to have candy, but it’s important to brush after eating sugary sweets, especially if they are chewy, because those tend to stick to your teeth longer.”
Source: Sinai Marketing
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