PORTLAND -- Dentists are quick to dole out advice about candy’s affects on teeth but one children’s orthodontics office is offering cash to prevent those post-Halloween toothaches, while cheering up U.S. military serving overseas.

File

A dentist works with a young patient.

A Vancouver pediatric dental office is in the third year of its “Cash for Candy” program.

Adventure Dental offers $1 per pound of Halloween candy that kids bring in. The candy is then sent overseas to military personnel serving in Afghanistan, Kuwait and Iraq.

They also have one stipulation to collect the money: kids have to write a letter or draw a picture that will be sent along with the candy.

“We got letters back from the military men and women, and they loved getting the letters from the kids -- and candy. They give some of that candy to kids over there, especially ones that they would help cheer up in difficult situations,” Jenn Harbertson with Adventure Dental said.

Candy will be accepted all week long, through Friday.

Last year, Adventure Dental collected more than 450 pounds of candy and letters for the military, Harbertson said.

 More: Adventure Dental website

“It's such a good cause, gets a lot of candy out of kids hands for better teeth, and does good overseas sending the candy and letters to those serving our country,” she said.

Candy is accepted in the dental office until 4 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 1 p.m. Friday.