OBJECTIVE This in vitro study aimed to compare the microleakage of orthodontic brackets between enamel-adhesive and adhesive-bracket interfaces at the occlusal and gingival margins bonded with different adhesive systems. METHODS A total of 144 human maxillary premolar teeth extracted for orthodontic reasons was randomly divided into four groups. Each group was then further divided into three sub-groups. Three total-etching bonding systems (Transbond XT, Greengloo and Kurasper F), three one-step self-etching bonding systems (Transbond Plus SEP, Bond Force and Clearfil S3), three two-step self-etching bonding systems (Clearfil SE Bond, Clearfil Protectbond and Clearfil Liner Bond), and three self-adhesive resin cements (Maxcem Elite, Relyx U 100 and Clearfil SA Cement) were used to bond the brackets to the teeth. After bonding, all teeth were sealed with nail varnish and stained with 0.5% basic fuchsine for 24 h. All samples were sectioned and examined under a stereomicroscope to score for microleakage at the adhesive-enamel and adhesive-bracket interfaces from both occlusal and gingival margins. METHODS Statistical analyses were performed with Kruskal-Wallis and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. RESULTS The results indicate no statistically significant differences between the microleakage scores of the adhesives; microleakage was detected in all groups. Comparison of the average values of the microleakage scores in the enamel-adhesive and adhesive-bracket interfaces indicated statistically significant differences (P < 0.05). The amount of the microleakage was higher at the enamel-adhesive interface than at the bracket-adhesive interface. CONCLUSIONS All of the brackets exhibited some amount of microleakage. This result means that microleakage does not depend on the type of adhesive used.