Importance of the research Orthodontic treatment is no longer limited mainly to children and adolescents. With increasing number of patients from older age groups seeking orthodontic treatment; there has been an increasing demand for esthetic alternatives to conventional fixed stainless steel appliances. Some issues associated with conventional fixed appliances for treatment are: 1) unaesthetic appearance of brackets especially for adult patients, many of whom are unwilling to wear braces, 2) conventional systems compromise the ability of the patient to maintain good oral hygiene; 3) increase the risk of periodontal breakdown due to constant accumulation of plaque around the brackets, wires and ill-fitting bands; 4) require many follow-up visits for appliance reactivation and adjustment if the teeth do not move as desired; 5) iatrogenic root resorption, a major medico-legal concern also poses significant problems for the clinician. Increased use of self-ligating brackets and clear aligners from Invisalign (Align Technology, Inc., Santa Clara, CA) are some of the recent developments in orthodontics that have tried to address these concerns. However clinical evidence highlighting their efficacy has not been quiet forthcoming. Present knowledge is primarily based upon case reports, case series, surveys, anecdotal reports and retrospective studies. In such a scenario it is imperative to find an optimized evidence-based treatment strategy that leads to predictable outcome with complete patient satisfaction during and after treatment while minimizing the risk for root resorption and periodontal breakdown.