Cavities and Tooth Decay

Your dentist usually can detect tooth decay by:

• Asking about tooth pain and sensitivity.
• Looking around inside your mouth and at your teeth.
• Probing your teeth with dental instruments to check for soft areas.
• Looking at dental X-rays, which can show where cavities and decay are.

Your dentist also can tell you which of the three types of cavities you have: smooth surface, pit and fissure, or root.