UNDATED (CNN) -- A massive trick-or-treat candy haul can leave parents dreading the impact on their kids' teeth and overall health. But there's a lot you can do with those leftovers, and it doesn't have to involve a week-long sugar buzz.
It's a kids' dream, but for some parents, a nightmare. In the aftermath of trick-or-treating, parents might be wondering, what do i do with all of this candy, other than fuel a major sugar binge?
So in the days following Halloween, check the website HalloweenCandyBuyback.com to see if a dentist , orthodontist, or other entity in your area has organized a candy buyback, where they'll exchange cash, coupons, toothbrushes or other prizes for some or all of a kid's candy stash. Then it gets sent to operation gratitude, which uses the candy to fill care packages for troops stationed overseas.
Dr. Faith N. Bates, pediatric dentist says, "Pick a few, choose just a few nice treats, and then you can take the rest of it, bring it to us, and we can say thank you to our soldiers who are fighting for our country."
And if kids just don't want to part with their hard-earned sweets, remind them they don't have to eat it all this week, and keep these storage guidelines from the national confectioners association in mind.
Dark chocolate can be stored for up to two years if kept in foil and a cool, dry place, milk and white chocolate, eight to ten months, hard candies like lollipops, up to a year, unopened soft candies like gumdrops, 12 months, and Halloween favorite candy corn, nine months, in an unopened package.