Pain associated with orthodontic treatment is one of the undesirable complications, which negatively affects the patient's cooperation. Pain may occur due to the pressure on the periodontal ligaments induced by orthodontic forces. The perception of pain is affected by many factors related to the patient, such as age, gender and any previous treatment experiences, which are negatively or positively reflected on the patient's cooperation. As for the factors related to the type of orthodontic treatment provided, the pain and discomfort are proportional to the brackets system used and the forces applied, especially in the leveling and alignment stage. The amount of tooth movement is directly affected by the friction between the brackets and the wires used. The physical properties of the wire and brackets used and the dimensions of the applied wires, in addition to the type of ligation play a significant role in the amount of friction generated.
The different types of brackets (e.g., self-ligating and conventional brackets), and the various acceleration methods (e.g., corticotomy) cause varying degrees of pain and discomfort. This study will assess pain, discomfort, and other patient-centered outcomes in adults with severe crowding on the upper jaw requiring two first premolars extraction.~There are three groups:~The first group (control group): the patients in this group will be treated using conventional brackets alone.~The second group (Experimental group): the patients in this group will be treated using self-ligating brackets alone.~The third group (Experimental group): the patients in this group will be treated using self-ligating brackets associated with flapless corticotomy.