This study evaluated the effect of collagen removal on the shear bond strength for two single-bottle adhesive systems. The ultrastructure of the dentin after treatments and the dentin-resin interface were examined under SEM. The buccal and lingual surfaces of 80 extracted human third molars were ground to expose dentin. Teeth were randomly assigned to four groups and received the following treatments: Group 1(P&B 2.1), Prime & Bond 2.1 adhesive was applied according to the manufacturer's directions and Restorative Z100 composite resin was bonded to the dentin surface; Group 2 (P&B 2.1/NaOCl), the same procedures were followed as for Group 1 except that the surfaces were treated with 10% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for one minute after acid conditioning; Group 3 (SB), Single Bond (3M) was applied according to the manufacturer's recommendations; Group 4 (SB/NaOCl), the same procedure was followed for Group 2, using Single Bond. The specimens were stored in humidity at 37 degrees C for 24 hours and tested in a shear mode at a crosshead speed of 0.5 mm/minute. The Kruskal-Wallis test and Multiple Comparisons were used for statistical analysis of the data. A one-minute exposure of dentin to 10% NaOCl following acid conditioning resulted in a significant increase of the dentin shear bond strength for Prime & Bond 2.1. The same treatment for Single Bond resulted in a significant reduction in bond strength. Groups 1 and 3 were not statistically different from each other. The presence of a collagen layer resulted in the formation of a hybrid layer and similar values of adhesion for both adhesive systems. The results may suggest that collagen removal improves the bond strength for this acetone-based adhesive system but several such systems would need to be investigated.