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Inside Cavity Prevention: ‘Cash for Candy’ Rewards Monsey Children for Dental Health

Inside Cavity Prevention: ‘Cash for Candy’ Rewards Monsey Children for Dental Health

By: Yitzy Fried

Every young child has had it drilled into their heads that the candy is terrible for their teeth—how too much sugar will cause decay and rot to these most precious organs which we are only given two sets of for our entire lives. 

And yet, when Purim comes around, we load them up with candy and sweets—which may bring them a smile in the short term... but can destroy their smiles for the long term, R”l. 

Which is where the “Cash for Candy,” a feature in the Monsey community for a number of years, comes in. We have all heard of Kars for Kids, and Cash for Clunkers—clever and innovative programs that give people cash, tax deductions, or vacations for their jalopies.  

But Cash for Candy is a program that was introduced ten years ago by Rockland Smile Builders, a dental practice in Monsey—aimed at the children in the community who accumulate an unhealthy amount of candy. 

Mrs. Judy Fleischer, longtime office manager, at the Rockland Smile Builders, recalls when the program got started about one decade ago. 

“At the time, Dr. Simchi, was working here, and he came up with the idea to encourage children to offload some of these sugary treats... something that is easier said than done,” she recalls. 

“We advertised that year in some of the local circulars... and on that very first year, we got an astounding 400 pounds of candy! Ever since then, year after year, the children of Monsey have had a place to offload these treats in a way that makes them feel good, and also educates them about the importance of keeping their teeth healthy,” she said. 

The Cash for Candy program only accepts the most damaging stuff; “shehakol candy.” Many children aren’t willing to part with their candy... but when they see it go onto the scale, and how they can get $1 per pound of candy...that makes it a bit easier. “They’ll pull the best one out of the pile, and reluctantly give up the rest—learning a valuable lesson about tradeoffs and good choices,” says Mrs. Fleischer. 

What makes this program even better is that all of it goes to the organizations Kosher Troops and Shop and Share, which Dr. Weisberg personally delivers.  

The kids who come to 1 Mariner Way with bags of candy, hail from every walk of life; from chassidish to modern, those who are patients of theirs, and those who aren’t. They walk out with a few dollars in their pocket, and better prospects for a healthier smile.  




BDE: Mourning in Anguish in Skverer Chassidus with Passing of Mrs. Chaya Perel Brailofsky, a”h, 42 of New Square and Yerushalayim.
  • Mar 22 2022
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  • 11:30 AM

Inside Cavity Prevention: ‘Cash for Candy’ Rewards Monsey Children for Dental Health
  • Mar 22 2022
  • |
  • 11:09 AM

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