[Epidemiologic study of the causes of esthetic restorations in pedodontic clinics in Dakar]

The authors expose a retrospective study carried out on records of patients from 18 months to 15 years old consulting for esthetic restorations in 3 dental health care centers of Dakar. The total number sampled is 151 children with 89 boys and 62 girls representing 3.5% of the total number of consultants [3964] during two years [1991 and 1992] in the dental health care centers. The study shows that the main etiological factors of the esthetic restorations in constant progression, are dental traumatisms, and caries infections. It shows also that the request varies with age and sex and that the male are more represented in the sample. Face to the lack of structures, material and human means, information, education and communication for the oral and dental health have to be fully broadcasted in the kindergartens and elementary schools in the limit of an entire prevention program in order to reduce the needs in this precise field.