Editing Tooth decay (section)

===Rate of progression===
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Temporal descriptions can be applied to caries to indicate the progression rate and previous history. "Acute" signifies a quickly developing condition, whereas "chronic" describes a condition that has taken an extended time to develop, in which thousands of meals and snacks, many causing some acid demineralization that is not remineralized, eventually result in cavities.

Recurrent caries, also described as secondary, are caries that appear at a location with a previous history of caries. This is frequently found on the margins of fillings and other dental restorations. On the other hand, incipient caries describes decay at a location that has not experienced previous decay. Arrested caries describes a lesion on a tooth that was previously demineralized but was remineralized before causing a cavitation. [[Fluoride therapy|Fluoride treatment]] can help recalcification of tooth enamel as well as the use of [[amorphous calcium phosphate]].

Micro-invasive interventions (such as [[dental sealant]] or resin infiltration) have been shown to slow down the progression of proximal decay.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Dorri|first1=Mojtaba|last2=Dunne|first2=Stephen M|last3=Walsh|first3=Tanya|last4=Schwendicke|first4=Falk|date=2015-11-05|title=Micro-invasive interventions for managing proximal dental decay in primary and permanent teeth|journal=Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews|volume=2015|issue=11|pages=CD010431|doi=10.1002/14651858.cd010431.pub2|pmid=26545080|pmc=8504982|issn=1465-1858}}</ref>