orthodontist

For those who enjoy the excitement and events of Halloween but not the sugar-intake that follows, Carlsbad orthodontist Dr. Michael G. Willes is sponsoring his 16th annual Halloween Candy Buy-Back and School Fundraiser on Monday, November 3, 2014 between 3:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. at 740 Oak Avenue in Carlsbad Village.

Dr. Willes will pay kids $2 a pound (up to 5 pounds) to take those hard, sticky, sugary treats off of their hands and away from their teeth. Willes Orthodontics will also donate an additional $2 per pound to participating schools.

To make the trade-in even more appealing, children who choose to cash in their candy will be rewarded with a goody bag containing a fun toothbrush, dental health puzzles, stickers, magnet, etc.

As for all the candy that is bought back, Dr. Willes donates it to Brother Benno’s kitchen in Oceanside where it is distributed a few pieces at a time with the meals served there. After all, a small treat for many people is definitely healthier than one kid eating four pounds in three days. Of course, toothbrushes will also accompany the candy donation—so everybody wins.

This fun, healthy event is open to children throughout the community. For more information or directions, please call 434-5031.

Isabella and Olivia Town happily swap their candy for cash at Willes Orthodontics' Halloween Candy Buy-Back last year.

Fall is here, and so is all the fun that comes with it! Check out what we've got at the office to celebrate!

Candy Guessing Game

It’s time! Our annual Guess-How-Much-Candy-is-in-the-Jar game! The person that can guess how much candy is in the jar wins not only the jar of candy, but the giant spider hanging above it in the office! (Not to mention a goody bag full of fun orthodontic prizes, and of course, a toothbrush to use once you’re done with all that candy). Guesses have been pouring in all month, but you still have until 4pm on Halloween (Wednesday) to submit your guess! Whether you have an appointment or not, stop by, say hello, and try your chances at winning!

Candy Buy Back

Also, if you’ve been around the office in past years, you know that our ANNUAL HALLOWEEN CANDY BUY BACK is just around the corner! This is our 14th year and we will be holding it on November 2, from 4pm-6pm in the office.

For those of you that may not know what our Halloween Candy Buy Back is, here’s how it works…. Kids bring in their Halloween haul of all that sticky, gooey, chewy, crunchy candy and get paid for it! For every pound of candy that the kids bring in, we pay them $1 (up to 5 pounds). And they walk away with a goody bag with stickers, pencils, coloring pages and, of course, a toothbrush!

But not only is this a sweet deal for the kids, but for every $1 we give the kids, we’ll match that $1 and give it to the participating school of their choice. As members of the Carlsbad community, we love this chance to give back to schools and give back to the kids (not to mention, our chance to get all that sugar away from their teeth)!

So what do we do with all those pounds of candy we buy back? We donate to Brother Benno’s kitchen in Oceanside. So instead of one kid consuming all of that teeth-threatening candy, one or two pieces are distributed with each meal and all that sugar is spread out.

This fun, healthy event is open to children throughout the community, so invite your friends!

We hope you are having a Spooktacular October and hope you'll come haunt our office soon! Happy Halloween!

For most children, summer break is over, and the school year is in full swing! After they're done with their homework, you may be running out of ideas to keep them occupied. Why not use a fun and simple science experiment to focus their attention for a while? This one includes a lesson about why it’s important to brush teeth to make plaque go away.

Gather the items you will need for this experiment:

* 1 hard-boiled egg with the shell on
* 12 ounces of Coke, Pepsi or other dark-colored cola
* 1 container large enough to hold the cola and egg
* 1 plastic bowl
* 1 toothbrush
* 1 drop of fluoride toothpaste
* Clean-up supplies

Explain to your child that plaque is a sticky layer of germs that collects on her teeth. If she doesn’t brush, plaque can cause serious problems for her teeth, for example holes in the teeth (cavities) or swollen gums (gingivitis). Tell her that you are going to do an experiment to see how plaque coats her teeth, and why brushing twice a day is important for healthy teeth and gums.

Conduct the experiment:

1. Make the comparison between the white color of the egg and the white color of your child's teeth.

2. Place the egg into the container and pour the cola over it, so that it completely covers the egg.

3. Let the egg sit in the cola for 24 hours.

4. Remove the egg from the cola. The egg will be stained and yellowish.

5. Explain to your child that the colored layer that has appeared on top of the eggshell is just like the layer of plaque that occurs on her teeth.

6. Place the egg in the plastic bowl and give your child the toothbrush with the drop of toothpaste on it.

7. Let her brush the "plaque" off of the egg. The yellowish film will disappear, exposing the white eggshell. Explain that the same thing happens when she brushes her teeth.