Represent areas where loss of enamel has exposed underlying dentin and often darken with pigments from food. What are these areas called?

• A. White spots
• B. Brown cavitations
• C. Fluoride channels
• D. Hypersensitive zones

Answer: (B)

When enamel is lost and dentin becomes exposed, the dentin often takes up pigments from foods and drinks, giving a brown discoloration. If the lesion has progressed to a cavity, this dark, brown, sunken area is described as a brown cavitation. White spots, by contrast, are early enamel demineralization without dentin exposure, so they aren’t the same as a stained, cavitated lesion. Hypersensitive zones refer to exposed dentin that can cause sensitivity, not specifically to pigmented brown cavitations. Fluoride channels isn’t a term that describes these lesions.