What looks like dental caries but are not dental caries?

Stains: Stains are dark similar to decay.

Stains or...: It may be dental caries but you do not know what to look for. Go you a dentist for an evaluation.

To whom?: I don't think anything really looks enough like dental caries to have a problem identifying it. Perhaps to a patient or untrained eye, one may confuse certain stains or decalcification with caries. A dentist can easily determine by a clinical exam and x-rays what is and what is not dental caries.

Spots: To the untrained eye, stain can look like caries and what we call cervical burnout on x-rays can look like decay.

Old silver filling?: A stained natural groove or an old tarnished silver filling could be mistaken for a cavity, but neither would feel like a hole! Let your dentist do the diagnosis!

Simple stain: Yes, go to the dentist. If it is simple stain, plaque build up or painless cavity it will be fixed at the same appointment. Your dentist will evaluate, take x-ray and fix the problem. Good luck.