The treatment of wood surfaces with gas discharges is one of the methods to achieve better surface adhesion properties. Good penetration, spreading and wettability of the applied liquid adhesives and coatings is a crucial factor for their adequate mechanical properties. Plasmas are the result of electrical discharge and can be created in different ways. The plasma treatment (PT) is frequently executed prior to material bonding or coating via the so-called dielectric barrier discharges (DBD) at atmospheric pressure. This literature review summarizes the essential aspects of DBD PTs aiming at a better wettability and surface adhesion. After introduction of the principle of DBD, the individual effects of internal and external parameters of the process will be discussed, which influence the final properties of treated materials.