Development of materials which establish an effective bond with the tooth structure allowed for minimal invasive dentistry approach in restoring carious lesions in children. Adhesive systems have attracted research interest in recent years. This review highlights the contemporary adhesive systems and emphasizes the chemical characteristics and mode of interaction of the adhesives with enamel and dentinal tissues. Dental adhesives are used for several clinical applications, and they can be classified to "etch-and-rinse adhesives" and "self-etch adhesives". Etch-and-rinse adhesive systems perform better on enamel than self-etching systems which may be more suitable for bonding to dentine. Etch-and-rinse adhesives in primary teeth performed better. Careful consideration of several factors is crucial when selecting the suitable adhesive strategy to avoid possible loss of restoration, secondary caries or pulpal involvement due to leakage and bacterial penetration or due to cytotoxicity effects of eluted adhesive components.
Running title: Adhesive Strategies for Restoring Primary and Young Permanent Dentition
Keywords: adhesives, primary, permanent, resin, composite