This paper is concerned with the control of a class of continuous-time nonlinear dynamic systems preceded by unknown non-symmetrical, non-equal slope dead-zones. By exploring the properties of the dead-zone model intuitively and mathematically, an adaptive sliding mode inverse control scheme is developed by constructing a dead-zone inverse for compensation. The proposed approach ensures global stability of the adaptive system and achieves desired tracking precision. Simulations performed on a typical nonlinear system illustrate and clarify the approach.