The aim of the study is to compare the epithelial cells of the buccal mucosa adjacent to metal and ceramic brackets at three time points: baseline, 30 days after placement and 30 days after the removal of brackets. • A sample of 40 (20 metal and 20 ceramic) individuals of Indian population of mean age 14 years who came for orthodontic treatment in K.D. Dental College and Hospital, Mathura were selected. Placement of metal and ceramic brackets induces cellular alterations in the buccal mucosa. These alterations do not suggest malignancy. Buccal mucosa cells adjacent to the metal brackets show greater changes than seen in those adjacent to the ceramic brackets and buccal mucosa cells adjacent to metal and ceramic brackrts tend to return to the initial morphology after removal of the brackets with more tendency towards normalcy seen with ceramic brackets than with metal brackets. Exfoliative cytology can be an effective tool in diagnosis to detect and evaluate the cellular alteration,assuming that its limitations are well interpreted and applied.