Communication training in the dental interview was conducted for 5th-year dental students through role playing and simulated patients. The purpose of this training was for students, through practicing and observing dental interviews, to acquire interviewing skills and to communicate with patients by considering the patient's point of view. A questionnaire regarding this training was administered to the students. The results revealed that the students realized the difficulty and the importance of communication with patients. The results also showed that the students learned what points they should keep in mind, how they can improve their own communication skills by communicating with patients, and the importance of understanding the patient's point of view. Moreover, students believed that this training would continue to be useful.

Objective:To investigate the influence of fixed orthodo ntic appliances on caries activity in children. Methods: By the use of Dentocult SM, Dentocult LB and Cariostat (CAT), the caries activi ty in 35 children aged 12～14-year-old treated with edgewise appliances was compared with that in 35 untreated ones. Results: The val ues of Dentocult SM, Dentocult LB and Cariostat (CAT) in orthodontically treate d children were significantly higher than those in untreated ones(P

The purposes of this study were to examine scales and to assess the effects of the training in clinical interviewing for dental students. The subjects to examine validity and reliability of the scale were 11 dentists and 25 dental school students. The subjects to assess the effects of the training were 16 dental school students, and were divided into a training group that was given the training and a control group that was not given the training. Kappa statistics revealed moderate agreement. The acceptable level of Cronbach's coefficient alpha for standardized patients in each case was obtained. The significant difference was found in the scores between the dentists and the students. The scores of training group and control group were not significantly different before the training. However, the training group had significantly higher scores than the control group after the training. These results confirmed the reliability and validity of this scale, and suggested that this training using simulated patient was effective for dental school students.

Objective: To evaluate the caries status of a cohort of 3-year-old caries-free children from 2 kindergartens in Beijing in a period of 2 years by using Cariostat caries activity test and to assess the sensitivity and specificity of Cariostat score as a caries risk indicator for caries-free children. Methods: Totally 426 3-year-old caries-free children from 2 kindergartens in Beijing were recruited in the present study. Informed consents were obtained from the children's parents. Dental plaque samples of the children were collected and the Cariostat caries activity tests were conducted at baseline and once a year for 2 years. After two years, the caries status of the cohort children were re-evaluated and the caries incidences amongst children with high (2.0, 2.5, 3.0), medium (1.5) and low (1.0, 0.5, 0.0) levels of Cariostat scores were compared and analyzed. Results: Totally 864 3-year-old children from 2 kindergartens were screened before the study startedand 426 (49.3%) children were caries free. After 2-year follow-up, 312 out of 426 (73.2%) remained in the study. The overall caries incident rate was 46.5% (145/312). The caries incident rate of children with high level of Cariostat scores was 88.9% (88/99), while the caries incident rates of children with medium and low levels of Cariostat scores was 38.7% (36/93) and 17.5% (21/120), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of the Cariostat test in assessing the caries risk of 3-year-old caries-free children in a period of 2 years were 60.7% and 93.4%, respectively. Conclusions Cariostat caries activity test can be used as an indicator to predict the caries risk of 3-year-old caries-free children. Comprehensive caries management could be conducted for children in kindergartens based on the caries risk assessment results of caries experience and the Cariostat score.