G.V. BLACK’S CLASSIFICATION OF CARIES

Today, caries remains one of the most common diseases throughout the world.

Dental caries, also known as tooth decay or a cavity, is an infection, bacterial in origin, that causes demineralization and destruction of the hard tissues of the teeth (enamel, dentin and cementum). It is a result of the production of acids by bacterial fermentation of food debris accumulated on the tooth surface. If demineralization exceeds saliva and other remineralization factors such as from calcium and fluoridated toothpastes, these once hard tissues progressively break down, producing dental caries.

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G.V. Black’s Classification of dental caries is the standard method used in identification of carious lesions according to its location on the tooth surface. Black originally devised five classifications, but a sixth was later added.  These cavity classifications are used when recording on the patient’s chart the type of caries found on the teeth.

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CLASS I LESIONS:  All pit-and-fissure restorations are Class I, and they involve the following 3 location groups:

– the occlusal surfaces of molars and premolars

– the occlusal two thirds of the buccal and lingual surfaces of molars

– the lingual surfaces of anterior teeth

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CLASS II LESIONS: Involve the proximal surfaces (mesial and distal) of posterior teeth with access established from the occlusal tooth surface.

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CLASS III LESIONS: Involve the proximal surfaces of the anterior teeth which may or may not involve the lingual extension but DO NOT involve the incisal line angle.

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