FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, March 17, 2005

AUSTIN – The act of smiling is something most people take for granted. Smiling is not so effortless, and in fact painful, for many people across the state. Motorists now may choose to purchase the new "Smile Texas Style" specialty license plate that supports the Texas Dental Association’s (TDA’s) charitable programs to bring healthy smiles to those who desperately need dental care but cannot afford it.

"Texas dentists are pleased to work with TxDOT to raise funds for charitable dental programs," said Herbert L. Wade, Jr., D.D.S., president of TDA. "We hope that motorists across the state will join dentists and other dental professionals in ‘Smiling Texas Style’ on the highways and byways of our great state."

The new specialty plate design features the phrase "Smile Texas Style" in bold white letters on a red background with a white Texas silhouette below it. The license plates are available for passenger vehicles and light trucks and cost $30 annually, plus $40 if personalized, in addition to regular registration fees. Of the $30 annual fee for the plates, $22 will be deposited into the General Revenue Fund to be used by TDA to fund grants that support charitable dental care.

Plate sales could potentially be used to support a dental voucher program for school children, mobile dental mission programs and other charitable services for those in great need of dental care. Through eight charitable dental clinics over the last four years, approximately 6000 Texans received dental care at no cost.

Applications for the specialty license plate are available at the county tax office, on the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT’s) Web site (www.dot.state.tx.us), by calling the TxDOT Help Desk at (512) 465-7611, or TxDOT’s Fax-On-Demand forms line at (888) 232-7033.

TxDOT started its specialty license plate program in 1965. Today, there are more than 100 different plate designs, many of them benefiting a particular group, organization, college or university. Since 1994, more than $10 million have been raised for sponsoring organizations and scholarship funds.

For more information, call Darah Waldrip in TxDOT Vehicle Titles and Registration Division, (512) 302-2076. Ordering information is available at http://www.dot.state.tx.us/vtr/spplates/allplates.htm.