100 Council Bluffs kids receive free dental care

Annual community event addresses critical healthcare access gaps

Published on Feb. 6, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

One hundred children in Council Bluffs, Iowa received free dental care on Friday as part of the 19th annual Give Kids a Smile event hosted by Firefly. The children were pre-selected through Council Bluffs Community Schools, targeting families who can't find dentists that accept Iowa Medicaid or lack insurance and transportation. Several community partners and four local dental offices teamed up to provide cleanings, X-rays, fluoride treatments and fillings for the children.

Why it matters

Tooth decay affects nearly half of U.S. children and causes 51 million lost school hours annually. This event helps address critical gaps in dental healthcare access for underserved families in the Council Bluffs community.

The details

The Give Kids a Smile event has been running for over 10 years, providing free dental services to children in need. This year's event was sponsored by the Cindy and Jerry Mathiasen Family Fund and Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation. In addition to the dental services, the event featured Firefly's Director of Public Health Services & Child Care Nurse Consultant Program dressed up as the tooth fairy.

  • The 19th annual Give Kids a Smile event took place on Friday, February 6, 2026.

The players

Firefly

A community organization that hosted the Give Kids a Smile event providing free dental care to children in Council Bluffs.

Dr. Ryan Hajek

A pediatric dentist at My Pediatric Dentist - Bayliss Park who participated in providing free dental services at the event.

Jenny Sharrick

The Director of Public Health Services & Child Care Nurse Consultant Program at Firefly, who dressed up as the tooth fairy for the event.

Cindy and Jerry Mathiasen Family Fund

A sponsor of the 2026 Give Kids a Smile event.

Delta Dental of Iowa Foundation

A sponsor of the 2026 Give Kids a Smile event.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“We've been doing this for over 10 years. It's really important for these kids to get dental care and so we're just happy to be a part of this exciting day. As you can hear everyone in the background, the kids are enjoying themselves.”

— Dr. Ryan Hajek, Pediatric Dentist, My Pediatric Dentist - Bayliss Park (3newsnow.com)

“It's the best day. It's the most fun. We get to see great smiles, we get to have Firefly here with us. We also partner with Iowa Western Dental Assistance Program to additionally provide some education and extra hands in the offices.”

— Jenny Sharrick, Director of Public Health Services & Child Care Nurse Consultant Program, Firefly (3newsnow.com)

The takeaway

This annual community event demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships to address critical healthcare access gaps and provide essential dental services to underserved children in Council Bluffs.