Bioactive glasses are silicate-based materials that can form a strong chemical bond with the tissues. Bioactive glass materials can bond to both soft an hard tissue and their bioactivity is related to the formation of a biologically active hydroxyapatite layer on the surface of the glasses. They have a wide range of applications in both medicine as well as in dentistry. This paper reviews the development, applications and different clinical studies of bioactive glass materials particularly in the field of dentistry.