Introduction: studies on dentin bonding have reported that, contrary to the achieved stability on dental enamel, adhesive mechanisms on dentine are still sensitive, unpredictable, and unstable. The objective of this study is to review the current literature on dentin bonding in order to characterize conventional bonding, describing current modifications of the conventional protocol aimed at improving the adhesive performance of dental materials. Methods: a literature review was conducted within 3 databases: ScienceDirect, Springer, and Medline, choosing the 52 most relevant articles published between 2004 and 2013. The following key words were used as search criteria: dentin, dentin bonding, bond strength,and acid etching. Results: the review of the selected articles provided a description of the conventional adhesion protocol showing the formation of smear layer, the action of phosphoric acid, and the actual formation of adhesive interface, as well as the difficulties of the technique and possible solutions suggested to date. Conclusion: conventional dentin bonding is a precise and delicate procedure that shows disadvantages such as the hydrolytic and proteolytic degradation of collagen matrix by enzymes released at the time of demineralization, which damages the adhesive interface. Therefore, several substances have been suggested to be used as agents of collagen protection without altering adhesive strength, and even improving it.