| Summary: | Adhesive systems play a fundamental role in the adhesion of restorative materials to dental substrates. To make this adhesion more effective and long-lasting, these materials are in constant evolution, seeking to simplify the clinical steps and reduce the technique’s sensitivity. The most recent generation of adhesives developed is the universal adhesives, which promise versatility and reduction of clinical steps. The aim of this study was to perform a literature review on universal adhesives and their characteristics. The literature review was performed by means of an electronic search in the Pubmed database. The literature shows that these adhesives chemically bond to tooth substrates and produce more stable and less hydrophilic dentin interfaces. However, some limitations exist when the use in selfetching mode is performed on enamel, and selective conditioning of this substrate is recommended. The use of these adhesives as a silane or primer in the cementation of glass-ceramics and metal alloys has also shown limitations. Nevertheless, in the cementation of zirconia-based ceramics and indirect composite resin-based restorations, the procedure can be simplified by the use of universal adhesives. Adhesive strength on dentin substrates under different conditioning modes varied between studies. As with any new material, long-term clinical evaluations are needed to demonstrate the efficacy of these universal adhesive agents, as reported in this literature review.
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