MADISON, Ind. — Most children get enough chocolate and sweets on Halloween to make dentists cringe, so some dentists are offering children an alternative treat: cash.

Halloween candy buy back programs allow kids to turn in their candy for money. Dentists around the country hold such swaps, including Madison dentist Ben Canida.

Canida dressed like a giant tube of toothpaste this week as he weighed candy during his office’s buy back program. The office collected 42 pounds of candy over three hours and paid children $1 for each pound of candy they gave up.

Dentists say such programs can keep kids from overindulging in sugary sweets.