Chicago dentists admit to sweet tooth

The Chicago Dental Society (CDS) surveyed 37 area dentists last month on their attitudes toward Halloween, with some surprising results:

--Most have a positive opinion of the holiday, with 92% reporting that they would be participating in this year's festivities. (The top goody to give out? Chocolate.)

--80% of those with children at home admitted they sneak candy from their children's Halloween bag.

--10% admitted they eat their Halloween stash before the big day, necessitating a last-minute run to the store so that they have something to give out to trick-or-treaters. Adding to that temptation are aisles of candy invading stores before kids have returned to school. Half of the dentists surveyed by the CDS said they buy too much candy at Halloween.

Here are some tips from dentists for overcoming temptation during Halloween, courtesy of the CDS survey:

--Buy candy you don't like. This was the top-suggested stratagem among all our dentists. "I can't stand malted milk balls, like Whoppers. So they are a perfect item to hand out and not worry about snacking myself," said Chicago dentist Dr. Adrian Codel.

--Keep the candy hidden until the big day. "Out of sight, out of mind" was the mantra of our dentists. Suggestions included keeping it in the car trunk, the freezer or under lock and key to avoid temptation.

--Get rid of leftovers. Most of our dentists reported having leftover candy. Their top ways to deal with it were take it to work (29%); give it away (20%) and throw it away (11%). Forty percent admitted they "just eat it."

--Treat yourself in other ways. Chicago dentist Joanne Oppenheim swears off all candy between Halloween and New Year's and instead enjoys the other holiday goodies available, a plan she has been following for about eight years now. Elmhurst dentist Christopher Choyke similarly foregoes the mini Snickers and instead treats himself to a slice of homemade apple pie after Halloween.

--Give out something other than candy. While most dentists surveyed said they will be giving out candy this year, non-edible items, like crayons, stickers, glow sticks, and gift certificates or encouraging donations to groups like UNICEF are other options

--Enjoy in moderation. "It's only one day a year, so don't get too hung up on too many sweets," advised Wilmette dentist Marv Schumer.