What Does a Cavity Look Like?

Cavities don’t always announce themselves the way people expect — some are obvious, others are subtle enough to miss without a dental exam.

Common appearances

• A dark spot — brown, grey, or black discolouration on the tooth surface
• A visible pit or hole, sometimes with a rough texture you can feel with your tongue
• A white or chalky patch, which is often the earliest visible stage, before a true hole forms
• Staining in the grooves of molars, where cavities commonly start
• Discolouration at the gumline, especially near where teeth meet the gums

What it might feel like

• Sensitivity to hot, cold, or sweet foods
• Pain when biting down in a specific spot
• A rough texture where the tooth used to feel smooth

Add a real photo here — see IMAGES.md

Where cavities like to hide

Between teeth and on the chewing surfaces of back molars are the most common spots — both areas that are harder to fully see without dental tools and proper lighting, which is why X-rays are often part of a routine exam.

Why a dark spot alone isn’t a diagnosis

Not every stain is a cavity, and not every cavity is visibly dark — which is exactly why self-diagnosing from a photo or a mirror isn’t reliable either way.

Noticed something that looks off? Book an exam and we’ll confirm what’s actually going on.

For more on this, see our restoration dentistry page.