Which description defines inactive caries with a cavity (Score 6)?

• A. Enamel/dentin cavity easily visible with the naked eye; surface of cavity may be shiny and feels hard on probing with gentle pressure; NO pulpal involvement.
• B. Cavity visible but with pulpal involvement.
• C. No cavity present; enamel completely intact.
• D. Cavity deep with softened dentin and pain.

Answer: (A)

Understanding inactive cavitated caries means recognizing that a lesion can have a cavity yet not be progressing. The key signs are that the cavity is visible, the surface feels shiny and hard when probed gently, and there is no pulpal involvement. A hard, non-soft surface indicates the dentin under the surface isn’t undergoing active demineralization, and the lack of pulp involvement shows the decay hasn’t advanced to affect the nerve territory. Together, these features define an arrested, cavitated lesion, which in this scoring system is labeled as Score 6. If the surface were soft or painful, or if pulp involvement were present, that would point to an active lesion rather than an inactive one. Non-cavitated lesions would lack a cavity entirely.