'Adhesive' restorative dentistry originated with the work of Buonocore in 1955 in bonding resin to etched enamel. Since then, adhesive materials and techniques have developed at a rapid rate. The first chemically adhesive material (zinc polycarboxylate cement) was marketed in the late 1960s, and glass-ionomer cements and dentine bonding agents have since become available. This review focuses on the latter two products. Glass-ionomer cements have a particular role in adhesive dentistry because of their reliable chemical adhesion to enamel and dentine, and because of their apparent ability to promote the remineralization of 'affected' dentine. Dentine bonding agents have undergone marked changes in presentation over the last 15 years, but all have an essentially similar bonding system, that of hybrid layer formation. However, the most recent systems have limited clinical data supporting their use.