Every year millions of children, usually from the western world, join the annual Trick and Treat tradition with kids knocking on doors to ask for candies and other sweets or risk being played a trick on.

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This annual sugar rush has raised alarm among health experts because of the high level of sugar the chocolates, candies and other sweet items the kids receive which could lead to obesity and other chronic ailments as well as tooth decay problems.

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To address the latter problem, some American dentists are taking part in the Halloween Candy Buyback programme initiated by Wisconsin dentist Chris Kammer. The programme buys back from the kids who went on Trick and Treat $1 per pound of their sweet loot.

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The kids have the choice of selling all their collection, picking out the ones they don't like or randomly giving a portion of their collection.

In 2012, Mr Kammer said the programme donated over 127 tonnes of candy to foreign troops. Of course, to ensure that it is not only the kids who are spared to tooth problems, the programme sent along with the sweets to the American soldiers overseas floss, mouthwash, toothbrushes and toothpastes.

While both young and old could be susceptible to tooth problems from eating too much sweets, the logic probably behind the buyback programme is that adults are more responsible in taking care of their teeth, while young people are often lazy in brushing their teeth regularly.

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