The objectives of this study were (1) to investigate the effect of operator variability on the shear bond strength of adhesives to dentin and (2) to determine the effectiveness of education on bonding performance for different types of adhesives. Thirty general practitioners were recruited for a CE course by a regional mailing. They used bovine dentin as a substrate for bonding the adhesive system they routinely used in practice and two other materials (no previous experience). Each adhesive OptiBond FL, ScotchBond Multipurpose Plus, ScotchBond 1 and Clearfil SE was applied according to manufacturer's instructions and immediately tested using a shear bond strength test. Shear bond strengths between adhesives and dentin were compared before and after a 90 min lecture on bonding principles and materials. For dentists with and without previous experience with a material, there were no statistically significant differences seen before and after the lecture (paired t-tests, p < or = 0.05). However, in every case, the bond strengths after the lecture were higher than those before (range of improvement from 15 to 150%). For dentists with routine experience with a particular material, all materials were statistically equivalent after the lecture, although the OptiBond FL was the highest. For dentists who had no previous experience with a material, the ScotchBond 1 had lower bond strengths than the other materials after the lecture. There was a large range in the ability of dentists to manipulate adhesive systems correctly. However, if a dentist has sufficient experience and receives sufficient education, any of these materials can give reasonable results.