The trend toward increased use of statistics in published orthodontic articles.

There has been an almost twofold increase in the use of statistical procedures in the articles appearing in the American Journal of Orthodontics from 1975 to 1985. That increase is due primarily to the increase in articles using inferential statistics. This trend toward increased use and complexity of statistical procedures in published orthodontic articles suggests a need for orthodontists to be fully familiar with statistical procedures.