JDBC provides a standard interface for connecting to and interacting with databases in Java applications. There are four types of JDBC drivers: 1) Type 1 drivers use JDBC-ODBC bridges but are platform dependent. 2) Type 2 drivers convert JDBC calls to native database calls and require client-side libraries. 3) Type 3 drivers use a middleware layer and allow connection to multiple databases from a single driver. 4) Type 4 drivers directly convert JDBC calls to database protocols and are 100% pure Java but require a separate driver for each database.