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JADA, Vol. 130, January 1999 73 dramatic rise in adult orthodontic treatment include increased social awareness of the availability of orthodontic treatment for adults, an increased appreciation of how orthodontics can facilitate other dental treatment to maintain the dentition, and improvements in orthodontic appliances. A key factor in an adult’s decision to seek orthodontic treatment is the amount and quality of information available.7 Although most orthodontic treatment is performed by specialists, the general dentist plays an important role in During the past 20 years, orthodontic treatment for adults has become much more commonplace.1,2 The proportion of orthodontic patients in the United States who are adults rose from approximately 5 percent in 1970 to a peak of 25 percent in 1990.3-6 During the past few years, the proportion of adult patients has dropped to around 15 percent, although the absolute number has remained constant, at about 600,000. In some areas of the country, pa...