X-ray case of an anterior tooth. Options include cervical burnout vs. caries. Correct answer:

Correct answer: A. Caries

• A. Correct, per the case findings. When distinguishing true interproximal cervical caries from the radiolucent 'cervical burnout' artifact, clinical correlation and lesion characteristics (irregular borders extending into dentin vs. the typical symmetric, well-demarcated radiolucent band at the CEJ seen in burnout) guide the diagnosis. In this case, the finding was determined to be caries.
• B. Cervical burnout is a normal anatomic radiolucency caused by differential x-ray absorption at the cervical third of the tooth (less dense area between enamel and root), and was ruled out as the answer in this case.