OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to investigate the penetration of a conventional adhesive material into enamel bleached with 16% carbamide peroxide and 38% hydrogen peroxide using optical light microscopy. METHODS: Extracted human teeth were randomly divided into eight experimental groups with six specimens each, according to the bleaching material and time interval after bleaching and before the bonding procedure. Groups were designated as follows: control group, restorations in unbleached teeth; restorations performed immediately after bleaching; restorations performed 7 days after bleaching; restorations performed 14 days after bleaching; and restorations performed 30 days after bleaching. The length of resin tags was measured with an Axiophot photomicroscope at 400x magnification for the calculation of the proportion of tags of study groups compared to the respective control groups. Analysis of variance was applied for comparison between groups; data were transformed into arcsine (p < 0.05). RESULTS: The specimens of experimental groups, in which restorations were performed 7, 14, and 30 days after bleaching, showed better penetration of adhesive material into enamel than specimens restored immediately after bleaching. There was no statistically significant difference between the bleaching materials employed or in the interaction between bleaching agent and time interval. CONCLUSIONS: This suggests that a time interval of at least 7 days should be allowed between enamel bleaching and placement of adhesive bonding agents for accomplishment of composite resin restorations. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Establishment of adequate time after bleaching is fundamental to allow the normal penetration of a one-bottle conventional adhesive onto the enamel surface.