The harm of gear grinding burn is analyzed and a variety of detection methods and characteristics of gear grinding burn are summed up and compared in this paper. These methods can be divided into prior detection methods and post detection methods according to the chronological order of the detection and grinding burn. Prior detection methods include critical constant method, ratio method of grinding force, grinding temperature monitoring, and neural network for predicting grinding burns. Post detection methods include destructive detection methods such as acid corrosion method, the surface microhardness test, metallographic test, metamorphic layer depth and nondestructive detection methods such as visual inspection, Xray diffraction residual stress test, component analysis, eddy current testing, CCD image, magnetoelastic method, online acoustic emission monitoring. The research also investigated the existing detection methods for gear grinding burn, discussed the scope of applications and the limitations, and furthermore revealed the developing direction of detection methods for gear burn.