Dental caries is an important problem for human health which is frequently seen under clinical conditions and also progresses slowly, causes severe pain and even tooth loss, and affects the quality of life. Especially in pediatric patients, with the early detection of caries, treatment procedures can be performed with uncomplicated methods. In today's dentistry; preventive applications and minimally invasive approaches are gaining importance, and early diagnosis of initial caries lesions is very important for minimally invasive dentistry. With the development of technology, many new methods are being introduced to ensure the early diagnosis of dental caries. In this review, conventional, contemporary, and developing approaches used in the detection of dental caries will be presented.