Children across the US have been urged to wrap up their sweet and hand them in to their dentist.

Local US newspaper the Macon reported Sheila Shah, a dentist, has said that as Halloween approaches a lot of children are going to be receiving a mountain of sweets and eating all this sugar could have a harmful effect on their long-term oral health.

Ms Shah noted: "Halloween marks the beginning of the sweet-tooth season.

"It’s followed by Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter. That’s six months of sweets."

Elsewhere, dentists across the US are taking part in a scheme to send leftover sweets from Halloween to troops serving overseas.

Dr Steven Johnson of Johnson Family Dental Offices in Santa Barbara is offering £2 per pound of unopened sweets handed in by children following Halloween. He hopes more children will be inspired to cash in their candy, rather than eat it and risk their oral health.