A variety of computer-based 3D applications are becoming regular tools for dental students for self-learning. This study investigated the learning effectiveness of junior dental students in passively versus actively controlling the 3D virtual scenes of implant dentistry. Participants were randomized into three groups and were exposed to three designs of educational materials: traditional 2D webpages (2D); active-controlling 3D webpages (A3); and passive-controlling 3D webpages (P3). After reviewing the webpages, the participants were asked to complete a posttest to assess the relative quality of information acquisition. Their responses were compared and analyzed. The results indicated that the P3 group received the highest score of 26.4±3.1 on the posttest, signiicantly better than the A3 group, which had the worst performance with a score of 20.3±4.0. The 2D group received a score of 24.2±4.6. There was a signiicant correlation between the scores on a mental rotations test and the subjects' performance on the posttest (p<0.001). A serious disadvantage of active control was indicated for individuals with low spatial ability. In 3D virtual reality assisted self-learning, passive control produces higher learning effects compared to active control. Too much active control may generate signiicantly negative impacts on students, especially for individuals with low spatial ability.Shengcai Qi and Yanhong Yan contributed equally to this work. Shengcai Qi works

Background/purpose: Dental informatics (DI) is a new emerging interdiscipline for medical informatics (MI) and general dentistry, and dental information technology (d-IT) is a parallel research field. The purpose of this study was to investigate the current situation of DI and d-IT in China, evaluate the achievements, analyze the weakness, and anticipate the future development. Materials and methods: Publications about DI and d-IT in English and Chinese journals by international and Chinese researchers were searched through literature reviews. The funds supporting DI and d-IT in China were manually searched. DI and d-IT education in China was analyzed by website search and telephone interview. Results: The investigation indicated that China started research in DI and d-IT fields from the late 1970s, but the development has become more rapid in the last 10 years. Both Chinese and international publications have increased sharply within the last decade. The Chinese government kept a stable increasing investment in DI and d-IT scientific projects and Chinese researchers made influential achievements in certain fields of DI and d-IT, such as computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) development and application, computer-assisted manufacture of facial prosthesis, and three-dimensional (3D)-assisted dental education. Conclusion: DI and d-IT have developed rapidly in China in recent years. However, there are some problems which remain to be resolved.