Objective: Several ions and components are released from self-etching primers in the oral cavity. This may cause injury to the periodontal tissues throughout orthodontic treatment. The purpose of this study was to assess the cytotoxicity of self-etching primers to HGF-1, HaCaT, and RHEK cells. Method: Transbond XT Primer (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA), and self-etching primers, Clearfil SE Bond (Kuraray, Osaka, Japan), Transbond Plus SEP (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA), and Adper Prompt L-Pop (3M Unitek, Monrovia, CA, USA), were evaluated by MTT assay, and cellular changes were also observed. Results: In all cells after 72 hours with all primers, severe morphological changes such as atrophy and necrosis were observed. In the MTT assay using HGF-1, Clearfil SE Bond, Transbond XT Primer, Transbond Plus SEP, and Adper Prompt L-Pop were lined up in order of ascending cytotoxicity When using HaCaT, Clearfil SE Bond, Adper Prompt L-Pop, Transbond Plus SEP, and Transbond XT Primer were lined up in order of ascending cytotoxicity. When using RHEK, Clearfil SE Bond, Transbond XT Primer, Adper Prompt L-Pop, and Transbond Plus SEP were lined up in order of ascending cytotoxicity. Conclusion: The result of this study shows that care is needed because self-etching primers show cytotoxic properties similar to conventional primers.