The objective is to review the current state of the art of dental composite materials. An outline of the most important aspects of dental composites was created, and a subsequent literature search for articles related to their formulation, properties and clinical considerations was conducted using PubMed followed by hand searching citations from relevant articles. The current state of the art of dental composites includes a wide variety of materials with a broad range of mechanical properties, handling characteristics, and esthetic possibilities. This highly competitive market continues to evolve, with the major emphasis in the past being to produce materials with adequate strength, and high wear resistance and polishability retention. The more recent research and development efforts have addressed the issue of polymerization shrinkage and its accompanying stress, which may have a deleterious effect on the composite/tooth interfacial bond. Current efforts are focused on the delivery of materials with potentially therapeutic benefits and self-adhesive properties, the latter leading to truly simplified placement in the mouth. There is no one ideal material available to the clinician, but the commercial materials that comprise the current armamentarium are of high quality and when used appropriately, have proven to deliver excellent clinical outcomes of adequate longevity. Copyright © 2010 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.