STURBRIDGE, MASS. (WHDH) - After warning parents in Sturbridge to thoroughly inspect all Halloween candy Friday morning, police announced hours later that a piece of metal found in a Now and Later was actually part of a child’s dental work.

A concerned parent brought a small metal object to the Sturbridge Police Department on Thursday, prompting the warning from police.

The parent told police that their child had been trick-or-treating at the Heritage Green Complex in the Fiskdale area, according to the department.

A Facebook user identified the metal object as a dental piece, police said.

An investigating officer was able to follow up with the parent, who confirmed the child was missing the piece, according to the department. The parent was said to be embarrassed and apologetic for forgetting that the piece was put in over a year ago.

“Please do not pass judgment on the parent,” officials said. “This was reported to the police because they thought there may be a danger to other children.”

Sewing needles were found hidden inside Twizzlers Twists in Marshfield and in a Snickers bar in New Hampshire. A nail was found in a candy bar in Oak Bluffs.

An investigation is ongoing in all the communities.

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