In presence of cavity,clinically catch will be there during probing,then the tooth is drilled till we reach the soft caries part.then it get restored with a material that is chemically bonded with the tooth.

Hi The presence of cavity can be examined clinically by dentist by the presence of catch on the probe...The patient may see  discolouration or mild sensitivity as symptoms... Teeth has 3 layers Enamel,dentine,pulp(blood vessels and nerves) layer When the cavity is in Enamel level you may see mild discoloration only... When the cavity is in superficial Dentine layer you feel mild sensitivity When it goes deeper Dentine layer you feel intense sensitivity which feels like pain When it reaches pulp layer you feel pain It is ideal to fill the cavity when it is in Enamel and Dentine layer Once it reaches pulp you need to do root canal treatment only

There's a bur system called Fissurotomy burs which are very minute in diameter & removes only the effected area of the caries part of the tooth. An experienced operator can carry out this procedure in a matter of just few minutes & do a permanent filling. If the caries is invasive , then the size of the cavity does not matter and the cavity should be filled at the very earliest to avoid damage & involvement of the healthy tooth structure. Good luck !!

Hi, I suggest that the width and diameter of the carious lesion should at least be greater then the width and diameter of the bur. So that healthy tooth structure is not lost.

If its a really small cavity which is not opt for filling, caries or cavity can be just removed.. no need to wait for it to grow

Ideally a cavity is filled if it has a soft spot (catch) where there is a tendency for food to get stuck. If that is happening, then best get it treated. This is irrespective of the size of cavity.