Caries in Pit or Fissure Surfaces (Table 1-2)

Active non-cavitated lesions are colored light brown or brown see below.

Sometimes, there are white demineralization lines at the opening of a pit or fissure seen below.

All discolored areas should be explored using gentle pressure. There is no need to penetrate a suspected lesion with an explorer. If a discolored area is hard when gently explored then it should be marked as questionable. If a discolored and non-cavitated area is soft when explored, it is recorded as non-cavitated carious pit or fissure. A cavity is detected when there is an actual hole in the tooth in which an explorer could easily enter the space. An active cavity has soft walls or floors (detected using gentle exploring).

If there is visual enamel opacity under an ostensibly sound or stained pit or fissure, then the enamel is undermined because of dental caries and the tooth surface is classified with a non-cavitated carious lesion in dentin see below.

Soft and non-cavitated stained pits or fissures when there is a change in the width of the pit or fissure relative to the adjacent pit or fissure should also be classified as non-cavitated dentinal lesions see below.

All discolored pits or fissures that do not have the characteristics of non-cavitated or cavitated lesions is classified as questionable see below.