The purpose of this study was to compare the severity of apical root resorption occurring in patients treated with a standard edgewise and a straight-wire edgewise technique, and to assess the influence of known risk factors on root resorption incident to orthodontic treatment. The sample consisted of 80 patients with Angle Class II division 1 malocclusions, treated with extraction of at least two maxillary first premolars. Variables recorded for each patient included gender, age, ANB angle, overjet, overbite, trauma, habits, invagination, agenesis, tooth shedding, treatment duration, use of Class II elastics, body-build, general factors, impacted canines, and root form deviation. Forty patients were treated with a standard edgewise and 40 with a straight-wire edgewise technique, both with 0.018-inch slot brackets. Crown and root lengths of the maxillary incisors were measured on pre- and post-treatment periapical radiographs corrected for image distortion. Percentage of root shortening and root length loss in millimetres were then calculated. There was significantly more apical root resorption (P < 0.05) of both central incisors in the standard than in the straight-wire edgewise group. No significant difference was found for the lateral incisors. Root shortening of the lateral incisors was significantly associated with age, agenesis, duration of contraction period (distalization of incisors), and invagination, while root shortening of the central incisors was related to treatment group and trauma.