Supplemental Material for: A critical review of the validity and reliability of caries detection methods for non-cavitated lesions.

Early detection of dental caries is crucial to prevent irreversible dental tissue damage, infection, and tooth loss, yet traditional detection methods face challenges in reliably identifying non-cavitated lesions. The review aims to determine the validity and reliability of epidemiological and clinical diagnostic methods used to detect non-cavitated caries.</p><p dir="ltr"><i>Summary: </i>Twenty in-vivo studies from 1997 to 2025 were analyzed, focusing on clinical visual examination, radiographs, tactile examination, and fiber-optic transillumination (FOTI), along with new adjunctive technologies, such as LumiCare, CALCIVIS, and BlueCheck.

Diagnostic validity among the studies was assessed using reference standards, including histological validation, operative intervention involving fissure opening, and, in some studies, clinical visual examination. Of the 20 included studies, 18 evaluated conventional diagnostic methods, with only two assessing tactile examination, and one evaluating FOTI. Only one study evaluated newer adjunctive technologies, including LumiCare and CALCIVIS.