Methods: Forty-two disk-shaped specimens (10 mm in diameter, 2-mm thick) were fabricated for each of the composite resins, Filtek Supreme XT, Ceram-X Mono and Aelite APB. The baseline color values (L*, a*, b*) of each specimen were measured with a spectrophotometer according to the CIELab color scale. The specimens of each restorative material were randomly divided into two groups (n=21). While the first group specimens were stored in distilled water (non-bleaching group-control), bleaching agent (Opalescence PF 20%) was applied on the top surface of the specimen of the second group (bleaching group). After color change values were remeasured, specimens were randomly divided into three subgroups (n=7) according to the staining solutions (tea, coffee or distilled water as control). The color change value (DeltaE*ab) was calculated after 30-days immersion period. The data were subjected to analysis of variance (p<0.05). Results: There was no statistically significant difference within each restorative materials' DeltaE*ab values after bleaching (p>0.05). The staining solutions did not cause statistically significant difference between DeltaE*ab values of bleaching and non-bleaching groups (p>0.05). No significant interaction was found either between bleaching and restorative materials (p=0.714) or between bleaching and staining solutions (p=0.304). Significant interaction was only found between restorative materials and staining solutions (p=0.005). The DeltaE*ab values which were higher than 3.3 were considered visually perceptible (DeltaE*ab> 3.3). While tea and coffee caused perceptible color change in Filtek Supreme XT and Ceram-X Mono, only tea caused perceptible color change in Aelite APB group.
Conclusion: Bleaching did not affect staining susceptibility of restorative materials.