Which description defines inactive caries on an intact surface (Score 4)?

Which description defines inactive caries on an intact surface (Score 4)?

• A. Surface enamel is whitish, brownish or black; may be shiny and feels hard and smooth when the tip of the probe is moved gently across the surface; no clinically detectable loss of substance.
• B. Surface enamel is whitish and rough and dull when probed.
• C. Enamel shows a cavity with softened floor.
• D. Cavity easily visible with a dull surface.

Answer: (A)

Inactive caries on an intact surface shows a non-cavitated area where the enamel surface remains intact. You may see color changes—whitish, brownish, or black—but the surface stays hard and smooth. When you gently glide the probe across the surface, it should not catch or feel soft, and there is no detectable loss of tooth substance. This describes arrested demineralization: the caries process has slowed or stopped, preserving the enamel surface. The described features—color change with a shiny, hard, smooth surface and no loss of substance—fit this best. In contrast, a rough, dull surface suggests ongoing active demineralization with surface porosity; a cavity with a softened floor or a clearly visible cavity indicates substance loss, i.e., an active cavitated lesion.

Inactive caries on an intact surface shows a non-cavitated area where the enamel surface remains intact. You may see color changes—whitish, brownish, or black—but the surface stays hard and smooth. When you gently glide the probe across the surface, it should not catch or feel soft, and there is no detectable loss of tooth substance. This describes arrested demineralization: the caries process has slowed or stopped, preserving the enamel surface.

The described features—color change with a shiny, hard, smooth surface and no loss of substance—fit this best. In contrast, a rough, dull surface suggests ongoing active demineralization with surface porosity; a cavity with a softened floor or a clearly visible cavity indicates substance loss, i.e., an active cavitated lesion.