carious
Affected by cavities
Carious describes teeth or bone affected by decay.
The word is technical, used mainly in dentistry and medicine: carious lesions, a carious tooth.
The noun form is caries, referring to the decay itself—dental caries is the clinical term for cavities.
Empty space within
- enamelHard glossy coating
- dentinTooth's main substance
- plaqueInscribed memorial tablet
- toothacheAche in a molar
abscess · filling · tartar · calculus · gingivitis · periodontitis · pulpitis · fluorosis
Process of declining quality
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- erosionGradual wearing away
- degradationDecline in condition
- disintegrationProcess of breaking apart
corrosion · rot · putrefaction · necrosis · blight · breakdown · spoilage · atrophy
cavity
Empty space within
toothache · abscess · filling · tartar · calculus · gingivitis · periodontitis · pulpitis · fluorosis · restoration
deterioration
Process of declining quality
- decompositionBreakdown into simpler parts
- erosionGradual wearing away
- degradationDecline in condition
disintegration · corrosion · rot · putrefaction · necrosis · blight · breakdown · spoilage · atrophy · fester