Temporal descriptions of decay can be applied to indicate rate of progression and prior history. The term “acute” refers to a rapidly progressing condition, while “chronic” describes a condition that has taken a long time to develop in which thousands of meals and snacks, many of them caused by some non-mineral acid demineralization process, eventually cause tooth decay.
Recurrent caries, also described as secondary, is caries that appears at a site with a previous history of caries. This is frequently found on the margins of fillings and other dental restorations. On the other hand, primary caries describes the occurrence of caries in a place where there has been no previous decay. Arrested caries describes the presence of a lesion on a tooth that was previously demineralized but remineralized before it could cause a cavity. Fluoride treatment can help restore tooth enamel as can the use of amorphous calcium phosphate.
