Purpose: To determine the adhesion of resin-modified glass-ionomer cement to bovine dentin under contaminated and decontaminated conditions. Materials and Methods: Forty-five bovine mandibular incisors were used. The surfaces of bovine dentin specimens were subjected to Temp-bond, dental handpiece lubricant (contamination), Hibiscrub, chlorhexidine or pumice (decontamination), as well as contamination followed by decontamination. From these, 14 test groups were created to investigate the effects of these variables on the microtensile bond strength of a resin-modified glassionomer cement to dentin. In addition, scanning electron microscopy was performed to examine the effects of contamination and decontamination procedures on the dentin surfaces. The data were analyzed by one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests. Results: SEM examination showed visible differences between the control group and dentin contaminated with Temp-bond or handpiece lubricant. All the contamination and decontamination test agents when used alone - except Hibiscrub - showed significant reductions in bond strength when compared to the control (p 0.001). All the test groups subjected to contamination followed by decontamination showed a significantly reduced bond strength (p 0.001) when compared to the control, with the exception of the handpiece lubricant/Hibiscrub combination. Conclusion: Under the conditions tested, Temp-bond, handpiece lubricant, chlorhexidine, and pumice may have an adverse effect on the bonding of resin-modified glass ionomer to dentin. Hibiscrub was effective in decontaminating handpiece lubricant but not Temp-bond. Palabras clave: dentin bonding, microtensile bond strength, contamination, decontamination