Human third molar teeth were divided into three groups: untreated control; enamel treated with 35% hydrogen peroxide for 2 hours; and enamel treated with 10% carbamide peroxide gel for 14 days. All teeth were ground to present a flat enamel surface, to which cylinders of light-cured composite resin were bonded. Shear bond strengths were determined for each specimen. The mean shear bond strengths of resin-enamel bonds after pretreatment with both 35% hydrogen peroxide and 10% carbamide peroxide were signifcantly lower than those for untreated controls. External bleaching with these materials prior to resin bonding procedures may reduce the quality of resin-enamel bonds.