Background: Orthodontic appliances are highly biocompatible, although some side effects associated with the release of nickel ions have been documented. Nickel and chromium are trace minerals or micronutrients, and they play an important part in the overall health of the human body. Hence; the present study was conducted for evaluating the salivary nickel levels in patients undergoing orthodontic treatment. Materials & methods: A total of 25 patients who were scheduled to undergo fixed orthodontic treatment for different type of malocclusion were enrolled. Unstimulated salivary samples were obtained from all the patients on the day of starting of fixed orthodontic treatment and sent to laboratory for assessment of salivary nickel levels. Fixed orthodontic treatment was started in all the patients. Salivary samples were obtained one week after starting of the treatment, one month after starting of treatment and three months after starting of treatment. All the samples were sent to laboratory for assessment of salivary nickel levels. All the results were recorded and analysed using SPSS software. Results: Mean salivary nickel levels on the day of treatment were 1.352 µg/L. One week after starting of the treatment, one month after starting of treatment and three months after starting of treatment, the mean salivary nickel levels were found to be 6.112 µg/L, 3.299 µg/L and 2.368 µg/L respectively. Significant results were obtained while comparing the mean salivary nickel levels at different time intervals. Conclusion: There is transient rise in salivary nickel levels in patients undergoing fixed orthodontic treatment till a time period of one week, after which it starts declining over a period of time. Key words: Orthodontic treatment, Nickel, Salivary