AimThe aim of the present study was to determine the shear bond strength of self-adhesive resin cements to enamel and dentin with and without surface treatments, and compare them with conventional resin cement as the control group.MethodsIn this experimental study, buccal and lingual surface of the thirty sound human premolars were polished in order to obtain a flat surface of enamel (E) in buccal, and dentin (D) in lingual. Sixty feldspathic ceramic blocks (2×3×3 mm) were prepared and randomly divided into six groups (n=10). Each block was cemented to the prepared surface (30 enamel and 30 dentin surface) according to different protocol: E1 and D1; RelyX ARC as control group, E2, D2; RelyX Unicem, E3, D3; acid etching +RelyX Unicem. The specimens were termocycled and subjected to shear forces by a universal testing machine at a cross head speed of 0.5 mm/min. The mode of fracture were evaluated by stereomicroscope. Data were analyzed with descriptive statistical methods using SPSS version 15. One-way ANOVA, and post hoc Tukey tests were used to compare bond strengths between the groups with different adhesives at α=0.05.ResultsStatistical analysis showed no significant differences within the enamel subgroups, but there were significant differences within the dentinal subgroups, and statistically significant differences were found between the groups D1and D3 (p=0.02). Comparison between similar enamel and dentinal subgroups showed that there was a significant difference just between the subgroups E3 and D3 (p=0.01).ConclusionElective etching of enamel did not lead to significant increase in the shear bond strength of RelyX Unicem in comparison to RelyX ARC. On the other hand, elective etching of dentin reduces the bond strength of RelyX Unicem with the dentin.