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The development of an adhesion system for bonding dental composites to dentin and enamel is reviewed. Building on findings concerning adhesion to enamel, a field pioneered by Dr. Michael Buonocore and others, Dr. R.L. Bowen and his colleagues at the Paffenbarger Research Center, National Institute of Standards and Technology, began addressing and solving problems associated with (1) silicate cements and unfilled resins, (2) bonding in an aqueous environment, and (3) the development of an adhesion system for both dentin and enamel that could withstand various stresses. Although commercial products based on this adhesion system are currently available in the dental materials marketplace, experimentation continues, focusing on the synthesis of potentially better component analogs, the optimization of the individual components, and on improved storage stability and ease of synthesis.