What is of interest in Endodontology? A bibliometric review of research published in the International Endodontic Journal and the Journal of Endodontics from 1980 to 2019

Areas of Interest in Dental Education: A Bibliometric Analysis of the Last Decade

This study aimed to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of journals focused on dental education (Journal of Dental Education and European Journal of Dental Education) from 2014 to 2023. An ISI Web of Science Search was performed in October 2023 with no filters for language or keywords. Published articles between 2014 and 2018, 2019 and 2023, and 2014-2023, along with the top 100 cited articles published within this period were exported as txt files. Keyword and title word network maps and occurrences were generated using VOS Viewer software. Author-affiliated countries with the most publications were tabulated from the Web of Science. Dental education and dental students and education were consistently in the top six keywords and title word occurrences in all periods and top 100 cited articles. Similar trends were observed for keyword and title word network maps with an emphasis on dental education and students. However, the 2019-2023 period saw the emergence of coronavirus disease 2019, three-dimensional printing, virtual reality, and education technology, with the earlier period (2014-2018) showing clusters around students, perceptions, dental hygiene education, and assessment. The United States ranked top of the list for most published author-affiliated countries, with England, Canada, Australia, and Saudi Arabia in the top six for all periods analyzed. In conclusion, within the limitations of this study, areas of interest in dental education journals in the last decade were identified along with the countries with most publications.

A critical look at outcome measures: Comparison between four dental research journals by use of a hierarchical model

AIM

To assess the status quo of outcome measures used in treatment studies in Endodontics, and potentially identify strategies for improvement, by (i) systematically assessing the outcome measures using a conceptual model and (ii) comparing these with measures used in corresponding studies in the adjacent fields.

METHODOLOGY

The International Endodontic Journal, Caries Research, The Journal of Clinical Periodontology and The Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache were selected to cover four adjacent dental disciplines. In each journal, the 50 most recent consecutive publications fulfilling inclusion criteria were included. A hierarchical model for diagnostic imaging studies was modified to assess studies related to treatment. The model comprised six levels, with technical as the lowest level and societal as the highest. Extracted data included study origin, study type, and identified outcome measures. Fisher's Exact Tests with Bonferroni corrections compared studies. p < .05 was considered statistically significant.

RESULTS

Amongst 756 publications, the 200 most recent studies matching the inclusion criteria were identified. Less than half (36.5%) assessed the clinical, patient, or societal aspects of treatment; 10.0% in International Endodontic Journal, 28.0% in Caries Research, 38.0% in Journal of Clinical Periodontology, and 70.0% in Journal of Oral & Facial Pain and Headache (p < .001).

CONCLUSIONS

According to included publications, research on treatment within the endodontic field is mainly focusing on technical and biological outcomes. The benefits of patients and society were less frequently examined than in corresponding journals in adjacent disciplines. When designing studies, including higher-level outcomes should be considered.

A bibliometric and Altmetric analysis of the 100 top most cited articles on dentin adhesives

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to identify the 100 top-cited articles on dentin adhesives utilizing comprehensive bibliometric and altmetric analyses.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The Institute of Scientific Information Web of Knowledge database was used to compile the top-cited articles published from 1945 through February 12, 2023. Citation counts were manually retrieved for each article from Scopus, Google Scholar, Dimensions, and Altmetric. The articles were analyzed in terms of their number of citations, year, journal name, author (name, institution, and country), and type and specific field of study. We used descriptive statistics to summarize the results.

RESULTS

The analysis revealed that the top 100 cited articles originated from 18 English-language journals and collectively accumulated a remarkable 34526 citations. The article with the highest number of citations garnered 1288 references. Among authors, Van Meerbeek B. stood out with nine articles and 4650 citations, followed by Pashley D.H. with six articles and 2769 citations. Japan was the leading contributor by country, while the Catholic University of Leuven led in terms of institutions with 20 articles.

CONCLUSION

According to this study, basic research and review articles garnered the most citations, respectively. The citation analysis revealed different trends for researchers, the first being that researchers have focused on basic fields such as the ultramorphology of dentin and adhesive interfaces, followed by bond strength to dentin. Two studies on clinical experiences suggested that studies with high-level evidence, such as systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or randomized controlled clinical trials, are required.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

It is identified that more studies with high-level evidence-based research are needed in the field of dental adhesives.

A bibliometric comparison of undergraduate and postgraduate endodontic education publications: The topics, trends, and challenges

OBJECTIVES

This study employs bibliometric analysis to compare knowledge units and main topics in undergraduate and postgraduate endodontic education, aiming to identify similarities, differences, and connections. The insights gained are expected to inform the future of two-stage education to enhance continuity, highlighting evolving trends, challenges, and development directions.

METHODS

Citation data were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collections (WOSCC) database and non-WOSCC databases with two separate search formulas. VOSviewer and CiteSpace were used to analyze the distribution of research by publication years, citation-sources, co-authorship network of authors and countries, and clusters of keywords.

RESULTS

The focus on undergraduate education preceded postgraduate education by nearly a decade. The United Kingdom has emerged as the most prominent contributor to endodontic literature at both levels, with the International Endodontic Journal representing the most voluminous and cited resource in this domain. Dummer is recognized as the most prolific author in undergraduate endodontic education, while Gulabivala spearheads the most extensive cluster of postgraduate education. Keywords clustering analysis reveals that undergraduate education places greater emphasis on fundamental knowledge, while postgraduate education concentrates more on clinical practice. Descriptive analyses from non-WOSCC databases align with the topics and findings from WOSCC-based bibliometric analysis.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric analysis revealed the emphasis on fundamental knowledge and teaching techniques at the undergraduate level versus advanced clinical knowledge and techniques at the postgraduate level, which originated from different learning aims and contexts. Updating the curriculum to meet the latest practices and innovations is crucial for aligning learning objectives with current and future needs, and the connection between the two levels remains a central challenge in endodontic education.

Effectiveness of root canal instrumentation for the treatment of apical periodontitis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

The development of endodontic instruments has rapidly advanced, but their impact on endodontic outcome parameters remains unclear.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic review aimed to answer the following PICOT questions: In patients with apical periodontitis (P) what is the effectiveness of root canal instrumentation ([Q1] performed with contemporary techniques [I] in comparison with 'traditional' techniques [C]] and ([Q2] performed with contemporary engine-driven NiTi instruments [I] compared with other types of contemporary engine-driven NiTi instruments [with different design and/or technology] [C]) in terms of clinical and patient-related outcomes (O)?

METHODS

After PROSPERO protocol registration, a literature search was conducted using Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Grey literature and major journal contents were examined. Two independent reviewers performed the study selection, data extraction and appraisal of included studies. A quantitative meta-analysis was considered, and statistical heterogeneity and overall quality of evidence were assessed.

RESULTS

Nine studies were identified showing substantial methodological differences. Five studies addressed PICOT 1 and three PICOT 2, whereas one study aimed both. A random-effects meta-analysis model was considered for the outcome 'radiographic evidence of normal periodontal ligament space or reduction of apical lesion size' (PICOT 1) based on three studies with 332 evaluable participants and showed that contemporary instrumentation was associated with a more favourable outcome (p = .005) compared with root canal preparation with stainless steel instruments (odds ratio = 2.07 [95%-confidence interval = 1.25-3.44]) with no evidence of statistical heterogeneity (I2  = 0%) but low quality of evidence.

DISCUSSION

Albeit a few studies fulfilled eligible criteria, no study had a low risk of bias. Compelling evidence indicating significantly different outcome rates using different endodontic instruments when treating teeth with apical periodontitis is lacking.

CONCLUSIONS

In terms of healing, the results of the meta-analysis determined the higher effectiveness of root canal instrumentation performed with contemporary techniques in comparison with conventional stainless steel instruments in patients with apical periodontitis followed for a minimum of 1 year with low quality of evidence. No differences could be demonstrated between preparations with traditional stainless steel and contemporary NiTi instruments for other clinical and patient-related outcomes.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO (CRD42021274642).

3D Surface Scanning-A Novel Protocol to Characterize Virtual Nickel-Titanium Endodontic Instruments

The nickel-titanium (NiTi) instruments' geometry plays an important role in their performance and behavior. The present assessment intends to validate and test the applicability of a 3D surface scanning method using a high-resolution laboratory-based optical scanner to create reliable virtual models of NiTi instruments. Sixteen instruments were scanned using a 12-megapixel optical 3D scanner, and methodological validation was performed by comparing quantitative and qualitative measurements of specific dimensions and identifying some geometric features of the 3D models with images obtained through scanning electron microscopy. Additionally, the reproducibility of the method was assessed by calculating 2D and 3D parameters of three different instruments twice. The quality of the 3D models created by two different optical scanners and a micro-CT device was compared. The 3D surface scanning method using the high-resolution laboratory-based optical scanner allowed for the creation of reliable and precise virtual models of different NiTi instruments with discrepancies varying from 0.0002 to 0.0182 mm. The reproducibility of measurements performed with this method was high, and the acquired virtual models were adequate for use in in silico experiments, as well as for commercial or educational purposes. The quality of the 3D model obtained using the high-resolution optical scanner was superior to that acquired by micro-CT technology. The ability to superimpose virtual models of scanned instruments and apply them in Finite Element Analysis and educational purposes was also demonstrated.

Bibliometric analysis and evaluation of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry from 1970 to 2019

STATEMENT OF PROBLEM

A comprehensive bibliometric analysis to determine different aspects of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry is lacking.

PURPOSE

The purpose of this bibliometric study was to analyze the characteristics of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry between 1970 and 2019.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The Web of Science Core Collection was used to retrieve 9 categories of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry, including keywords and terms used, cited documents published, the countries and organizations of the authors, references, and sources cited during this period. Data were exported to a software program and analyzed for each 10-year period and for the entire 50 years. The highest 10 in each category were reported. Co-occurrence, couthorships, and linkage were also reported.

RESULTS

A total of 11 989 records were reached by the search on the Web of Science Core Collection database; of which, 10 638 (92.9%) were included in the analysis. Articles made up 91.1%, of all records, with 217 review documents (1.8%). The most productive decade was 1980 to 1989 with 2936 documents. The total number of citations of all documents (available period 1980 to 2019) including self-citations was 155 112. During the period 1970 to 2019, 14 837 terms were used. The total number of keywords was 4933 (available period 1990 to 2019). There were 15 382 authors, 82 countries, and 2113 organizations identified in articles published in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry during this period, with most from the United States. There were 43 027 authors, 95 324 references, and 14 594 sources cited in the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry during the period surveyed.

CONCLUSIONS

This bibliometric analysis provided a comprehensive overview of the impactful role of the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry in contemporary dentistry, particularly in the field of prosthodontics.

The landscape of endodontic education research area: A bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVES

Educational research is essential for rationalizing curriculum design, improving evaluation systems, and updating teaching content. This bibliometric study aimed at analyzing the characteristics of publications relevant to endodontic education, thus forming a comprehensive scope of this research area.

METHODS

The search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection database in May 2022. Knowledge units of the included publications, such as year of publication, journal, country/institution/author, keywords, and highly cited articles/references, were analyzed.

RESULTS

The United States ranked first in the number of articles with a total of 17 articles. The majority of included articles were published in Journal of Dental Education (n = 25), International Endodontic Journal (n = 21), and European Journal of Dental Education (n = 14). The top 3 most frequent keywords were Endodontics, Education, and Root canal treatment. The main topic in endodontic education were curriculum, preclinical education, educational technology, and continuing education.

CONCLUSION

Forming a full scope of the endodontic research area, this bibliomertic analysis can help mine the hot topic, predict the frontiers in the field and provide the data necessary to determine the direction of research, rationalize resource allocation, and formulate policy.

A bibliometric and subject analysis of 3300 most‐cited articles in dentistry

Objectives

This study aims to analyze the publications that have studied top‐cited articles in dentistry.

Material and Methods

The study is applied research in terms of the purpose and scientometrics descriptive in terms of type, which has been done using the Retrospective Bibliometric Analysis. To retrieve the 100 most‐cited studies in Scopus, an advance search was used. The search results indicate that 33 articles focused on analyzing the 100 most‐cited publications on oral and dental subjects. The bibliographic information, including author, journal, country, institution, citation count, and citation density was analyzed. Then the full text of the articles was reviewed to identify the most productive journal, country, and institute in publishing the 100 most‐cited articles and also article type, study design, level of evidence, and the most important subjects among the 100 most‐cited papers.

Results

In these 33 articles, the topics of 3300 most‐cited articles were introduced, as well as the introduction of the core journals, countries, and institutes in publishing top‐cited articles. The most common research topics in the field of dentistry cover a range of dental public health and pediatric dentistry to adhesive restorative dentistry and implantology. Dental materials, oral medicine, and pathology seem like inseparable topics of common research in dentistry. J Dent Res, which was mentioned in nine articles, was introduced as the journal with the publication of articles of highest citation. J Clin Periodontol and Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, and Oral Radiology were in the second place, being mentioned in five articles. The USA, and two institutions the University of Texas, and the University of Michigan are orderly core country and institute for the production of most‐cited articles.

Conclusion

Researchers and specialists can get familiar with the most productive author, journals, countries, and different institutes for publishing high‐quality articles in the field of oral and dental subjects by the means of the results of this article. Furthermore, the results of this study ranked the most cited article topics, which are of interest for publication, demonstrating the future map road oral and dental research.

Scientific production on silicate-based endodontic materials: evolution and current state: a bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVES

To perform a bibliometric analysis on silicate-based biomaterials in endodontics; to elucidate the evolution and distribution of scientific production regarding research on these biomaterials, the authors and institutions involved, and the most used descriptors/keywords in this field.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A general advanced broad search was performed in Web of Science Core Collection, using the terms "Silicate" and "Endod*." By means of the "Analyze Results" and "Citation Analysis" tools from Web of Science, bibliometric data were extracted. Bibliometric networks on co-authorship and keyword co-occurrence were illustrated using VOSviewer software tool.

RESULTS

Research in the field of silicate-based endodontic materials in endodontics has followed an exponential crescent tendency over the period between 1995 and 2020. Two major co-authorship networks lead the research production in the field, headed by Gandolfi MG and Prati C, and Rodríguez-Lozano FJ and Forner L; respectively. "Mineral trioxide aggregate," "MTA", "Biocompatibility," "Biodentine," and "In vitro" were the terms with the highest occurrence. The modal study type in this research area are laboratory studies, representing 77.7% of the total number of records. The relationship between keywords illustrates the recent tendency to assess biological properties of MTA and Biodentine, which could be extrapolated to other silicate-based materials.

CONCLUSIONS

The results from the present study highlight the exponential increase and distribution of scientific production on silicate-based materials in endodontics, along with the modal keywords used as descriptors and the major authorship networks involved. The predominance of laboratory studies in this research field reinforces the need for clinical studies, to extrapolate the reported performance and characteristics of silicate-based materials into the clinical setting.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

The present study may aid the clinician's continuing education and evidence-based practice by providing knowledge and facilitating the literature search on the field of silicate-based biomaterials in endodontics.

Current Status and Trends in Research on Caries Diagnosis: A Bibliometric Analysis

There are a wide variety of devices for the detection and diagnosis of caries from the initial stages. The purpose of this study was to perform a bibliometric study on research regarding caries diagnosis by identifying the contributing researchers, organizations, countries or regions, journals, and to provide an analysis of keyword co-occurrence and co-authorship networks. An advanced search was performed in Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database, using the terms “caries diagno*” and “caries detect*” in the “topic” field, from 2013 to 2021. Bibliometric parameters were extracted using WOS’s analyze results tools and VOSviewer software. A total of 816 documents were identified. Most of them, (61.3%) are included in “Dentistry Oral Surgery & Medicine” category within WOS. The largest scientific production on the subject is observed between 2018 and 2021, with a total of 344 records. The most productive author is Mendes FM, followed by Braga MM. The journal with the most articles published on caries diagnosis is Caries Research, with 55 articles (6.74%). The terms with the highest co-occurrence refer to the validity of diagnostic methods, tools or principles used in diagnosis or general aspects related to caries detection and diagnosis.

Robotic and Microrobotic Tools for Dental Therapy

Robotic and microrobotic tools such as dental operating microscopes and dental endoscopes are being used extensively in dental therapy, which have a significant impact on dental therapy and education. Herein, this paper reviews the state of the art of robotic and microrobotic tools for dental therapy. This article starts with a brief introduction of current robotic and microrobotic tools for dental therapy and then displays their applications in various dental problems; strengths and weaknesses are also surveyed. Lastly, the conclusion and outlook are discussed, referring to the emerging dental clinic problems and demands. This review is expected to provide guidelines for the therapeutic application of robotic and microrobotic tools and to promote the development of robots in dentistry.

Present Status and Future Directions - Canal Shaping

This narrative review will focus on the evolution, present and future of engine‐driven root canal preparation. Root canal preparation changed drastically when Walia in 1988 introduced the use of nickel‐titanium (NiTi) alloys in Endodontics. In 2013, five generations of NiTi endodontic instruments had been established based on their metallurgical, mechanical properties and design features. Since then, manufacturers have been introducing further major changes in instrument design and characteristics that have not been translated in new recognized generations of instruments. In general, those changes have demonstrated enhanced instrument properties, but it is not clear yet if all those improvements are directly translated to an improvement in clinical success. This narrative review attempts to address the present status of engine‐driven instruments in terms of both evidence from laboratory‐based studies and clinical data, to identify potential further generations of instruments, and last to anticipate future directions for research and development.

Predictors of societal and professional impact of Endodontology research articles. A multivariate scientometric analysis

AIM

To identify factors that are predictive of short-term professional and societal impact of research within the specialty of Endodontology, and to identify the top-10 articles that achieved the greatest societal impact and describe their characteristics.

METHODOLOGY

Research articles in the field of Endodontology published in 2019 were eligible for inclusion, with the sample identified using Medline. Following screening of titles and abstracts, bibliometric data of the identified articles were exported into a spreadsheet, where further data related to continental origin, type of article, type of journal (endodontic or non-endodontic) and grant-funding were collated, with additional data concerning presence of journal impact factor, citations, news mentions and Altmetric-tracked-mentions and scores compiled using Clarivate, Scopus, ProQuest and Altmetric Explorer, respectively. Data analysis comprised descriptive statistics, frequency distributions, cross-tabulations and un/adjusted negative binomial regression models (P<0.05).

RESULTS

The search retrieved 30,443 articles; 951 were included for analysis. Most articles originated from Asia (43.2%) with over 51.5% of articles published in endodontic journals and 80% published in a journal with an impact factor. Over three-quarters of articles were primary research, 141 were grant-funded, 165 had a news mention, 338 achieved an Altmetric Attention Score and 808 were cited. The five-highest ranked articles were mentioned in general news bulletins, five of the top-10 articles were primary research and six of the top-10 were published in endodontic journals. The highest Altmetric Attention Score and citation count were 100 and 87, respectively. Adjusted models demonstrated that the type of article, publication in a journal with an impact factor, absence of grant-funding and coverage within general news bulletins predicted the Altmetric Attention Scores (P<0.001). Article type, publication in an impact-factor journal and presence of an Altmetric Attention Score were predictive of citations (P<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Article type and publication in a journal with an impact factor were significant predictors of both societal and professional impact of research articles within Endodontology in the short-term. Non grant-funded research and coverage in general news bulletins achieved greater societal impact, whereas an article achieving an Altmetric Attention Score was also strongly related to professional impact.

A bibliometric analysis of the top 100 most-cited case reports and case series in Endodontic journals

AIM

To identify the top 100 most-cited case reports and case series published in Endodontic journals and to analyse their bibliometric characteristics.

METHODOLOGY

The Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science (WoS), Scopus and PubMed databases were used to identify the top 100 most-cited case reports and case series in Endodontic journals. Complete bibliographic records of the selected case reports and case series were exported in plain text or BibTeX format and imported into the R environment for statistical computing and graphics. The following parameters were then analysed: names and affiliations of the authors, title, year of publication, journal of publication, first author, corresponding author, literature cited within reports, language, citation counts, impact factor of the journal, keywords, Keywords Plus and research topic.

RESULTS

In total, 88 case reports and 12 case series published in English between 1977 and 2016 were identified as the most-cited reports in the field of Endodontics. The terms "case report(s)" or "case series" were not included in the title of 57 articles. The number of authors per report ranged from one to seven, with the average number of co-authors per report being 3.14. The most-cited author was M Trope (University of Pennsylvania, USA). The University of Washington and Private Practice, Cetraro, Italy, were the most productive institutions. The country whose case reports received the largest total number of citations was the United States. The largest number of the most-cited reports appeared in 2002, 2004 and 2007 (n = 7, respectively). According to the WoS database, the total number of citations ranged from 42 to 453, with the average number of citations per report being 79.97. The majority of the top 100 most-cited articles were published in the Journal of Endodontics and the International Endodontic Journal. The most frequently used author keywords were revascularization and mineral trioxide aggregate. The majority of the case reports and case series dealt with topics related to pulp regeneration.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric study provides a comprehensive overview on the progress, trends and current directions in clinical practice within the field of Endodontics.

A critical appraisal of research methods and experimental models for studies on root canal preparation

It is the aim of this review to present a critical overview and summary on the contemporary possibilities, limitations and challenges of research related to root canal preparation. Frequently used research tools and contemporary research designs will be presented and discussed critically focussing on shortcomings and benefits with special regard to clinical relevance and scientific evidence. A plethora of experimental set-ups for assessing the shaping of root canals have been described in the endodontic literature using a considerable number of techniques and instruments. Nevertheless, it can be stated that scientific evidence demonstrating the clinical impact of many investigated topics is questionable or even missing. Instead of technical, radiographic and geometrical parameters, further research should focus on biological aspects and clinical evidence of the impact of root canal preparation on the outcome of root canal treatment.

Root Canal Disinfection Articles with the Highest Relative Citation Ratios. A Bibliometric Analysis from 1990 to 2019

The relative citation rate (RCR) is a normalized article-level metric useful to assess the impact of research articles. The objective of this bibliometric study is to identify and analyze, in root canal disinfection, the 100 articles having the highest RCRs in the period 1990–2019, then compare them with the top 100 articles most cited. A cross-sectional study was performed, and the search strategy ((Disinfection AND root canal) AND ((“1990/01/01”[Date-Publication]: “2019/12/31”[Date-Publication]))) relied on PubMed (n = 4294 documents), and article data were downloaded from the iCite database. The 100 articles with the highest RCRs and the top 100 cited were selected and evaluated in bibliometric terms. Among the 100 articles with the highest RCRs, there were no differences in the three decades for RCRs values, but there were in citations, being 2000–2009 the most cited. The USA was the predominant country (n = 30), followed by Brazil (n = 14). The most frequent study designs were reviews (n = 27) and in vitro (n = 25) and ex vivo (n = 24) studies. All subfields were well represented, although they varied over time. In 2010–2019, regenerative procedures and irrigation/disinfection techniques were predominant. Considering the RCR’s top 100 articles, 76 were common with the 100 most cited articles. Using the RCR metric allowed us to identify influential articles in root canal disinfection, a research field with topics of significance that fluctuate over time. Compared to citations, RCR reduces the time from publication to detection of its importance for the readership and could be a valid alternative to citation counts.

Ten years of minimally invasive access cavities in Endodontics: a bibliometric analysis of the 25 most-cited studies

Objectives

This study aimed to analyze the main features of the 25 most-cited articles in minimally invasive access cavities.

Materials and Methods

An electronic search was conducted on the Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science ‘All Databases’ to identify the most-cited articles related to this topic. Citation counts were cross-matched with data from Elsevier's Scopus and Google Scholar. Information about authors, contributing institutions and countries, year and journal of publication, study design and topic, access cavity, and keywords were analyzed.

Results

The top 25 most-cited articles received a total of 572 (Web of Science), 1,160 (Google Scholar) and 631 (Scopus) citations. It was observed a positive significant association between the number of citations and age of publication (r = 0.6907, p < 0.0001); however, there was no significant association regarding citation density and age of publication (r = −0.2631, p = 0.2038). The Journal of Endodontics made the highest contribution (n = 15, 60%). The United States had the largest number of publications (n = 7) followed by Brazil (n = 4), with the most contributions from the University of Tennessee and Grande Rio University (n = 3), respectively. The highest number of most-cited articles were ex vivo studies (n = 16), and ‘fracture resistance’ was the major topic studied (n = 10).

Conclusions

This study revealed a growing interest for researchers in the field of minimally invasive access cavities. Future trends are focused on the expansion of collaborative networks and the conduction of laboratory studies on under-investigated parameters.

Five decades of the International Endodontic Journal: Bibliometric overview 1967-2020

AIM

The International Endodontic Journal (IEJ) has served as a platform for research and clinical practice in Endodontics since 1967. This study provides a bibliographic analysis and overview of the publications that have appeared in the IEJ from 1967 to 2020.

METHODOLOGY

A literature search was performed in Elsevier's Scopus database to locate all the publications of the International Endodontic Journal. Various bibliometric software packages including the open-source visualization software Gephi and Biblioshiny (version 2.0) were employed for data visualization and analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 3739 records with citation and bibliographic details were selected and retrieved to allow a bibliometric analysis to be performed. The bibliometric analysis indicates that the IEJ has grown both in terms of productivity and influence. Over time, the journal has been associated with an increase in the number of manuscripts published and the citations they have attracted, but with minor downward fluctuations in citations in the last few years. Bibliographic coupling of the IEJ articles revealed that the major research themes published in the journal include 'endodontics', 'root canal treatment', 'calcium hydroxide', 'apical periodontitis', 'mineral trioxide aggregate', 'microbiology', 'cyclic fatigue', 'cone-beam computed tomography' and 'micro-computed tomography'. Authors affiliated to institutions in the UK were the major contributors to the journal and were linked with other countries such as Brazil, USA and Malaysia. The largest number of publications were from the University of São Paulo, Brazil.

CONCLUSION

The IEJ is one of the leading journals in Endodontology and has been providing a platform for innovative research and clinical reports for more than 50 years. Publications have been associated with a wide range of authors, institutions and countries around the world.

An overview of the 35 years of research in the oral radiology: a bibliometric analysis

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to provide a bibliometric overview of the oral radiology journal output, contents, and leading trends, and also include a detailed authorship analysis by evaluating the top contributors, and their geographic distributions between 1985 and 2020 years.

METHODS

The databases available on the Scopus and journal's Web Page were searched to identify the all published articles and reports with no restriction regarding publication year or study design. Seven hundred and seventy-seven articles were included and analyzed for the following bibliometric criteria: publication title, authorship, publication year, coauthors, institution of origin, country of origin, collaborating institution and countries, article category, study field, and number of citations based on the Scopus and Google Scholar.

RESULTS

Original article is by far the largest group of study outcome that more than half of the articles were in this category and followed by the case reports (19.8%). The leading countries according to number of the articles were Japan by far (59.8%) followed by Turkey (10.8%) and South Korea (5.2%). The article by Arnheiter, Scarfe, and Farman has received the highest number of citations overall. As first and/or coauthor, Ariji E emerged as a most productive author with 35 publications and Osaka University was determined as the most prominent institutions by publishing the greatest number of articles. More than half of the articles were in the "Diagnosis of Orofacial Diseases" study field.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive overall picture of the 35 years of research progress and publication trends in oral radiology.

Perspectives of Genetic Damage and Epigenetic Alterations by Hexavalent Chromium: Time Evolution Based on a Bibliometric Analysis

Compounds containing hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] have been classified as Group I human carcinogens in 1990 by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, known to induce human lung cancers. To determine the nature of Cr(VI) carcinogenesis, much has been learned about genetic damage and epigenetic alterations. On the basis of bibliometric analysis of the available literature found between 1966 and 2020, the present study investigated the evolution of author keywords; provided a summary of relevant studies focused on populations, animals/plants, or cells; and depicted the co-operation among countries or institutions and research group development. Additionally, multiomics technology and bioinformatics analysis can be a valuable tool for figuring out new biomarkers from different molecular levels like gene, RNA, protein, and metabolite and ascertaining the mechanism pathways of Cr(VI) genotoxicity and carcinogenesis.

Bibliometric Analysis of Global Research on Perinatal Palliative Care

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to perform a bibliometric analysis of publications related to perinatal palliative care to identify scientific output and research trends at a global level.

METHODS

The Web of Science Core Collection database was searched to retrieve publications focusing on perinatal palliative care published between 2001 and 2020. All retrieved publications were identified by title and abstract for their relevance to perinatal palliative care. These eligible publications were extracted from the following data: title, abstract, year, keywords, author, organization, journal and cited literature. VOSviewer software was used to conduct bibliographic coupling, coauthorship, and cooccurrence analyses and to detect publication trends in perinatal palliative care research.

RESULTS

A total of 114 publications concerning perinatal palliative care were included. The annual number of publications has increased dramatically in recent years. The United States has made the largest contribution to this field with the majority of publications (68, 59.6%) and citations (1,091, 70.5%) and with close collaborations with researchers in Canada, Portugal and Australia. Wool C and her institution, York College of Pennsylvania, are the respectively, most prolific author and institution in this field, publishing 18 papers (15.8%). Journal of Palliative Medicine is the leading and main journal in this field. According to the cooccurrence network analysis, five main research topics were identified: the candidates for PPC, service models and forms, framework components, parental perspectives and satisfaction, and challenges and needs of health care providers.

CONCLUSION

The findings of this bibliometric study illustrate the current state and global trends of perinatal palliative care for the past two decades, which will help researchers determine areas of research focus and explore new directions for future research in this field.

Postoperative Pain: An Analysis on Evolution of Research in Half-Century

INTRODUCTION

Examining the evolution of research parameters helps scientists to discover the well-developed and neglected aspects of knowledge. Pain after root canal treatment is a health problem affecting millions of patients. Research in this field has a meaningful impact on quality of lives. The aim of this study was to analyze the evolution of research on postoperative pain over the past 50 years.

METHODS

Electronic searches were performed in Scopus and MEDLINE databases to identify studies on pain after nonsurgical root canal treatments/retreatments. The full texts of eligible articles were reviewed to determine the study category and to extract and analyze the methodological variables. A series of statistical analyses were performed to determine the trend of publications based on the variable of interest over time.

RESULTS

Four hundred twenty-four articles were included. There was a positive trend for systematic reviews, studies with sample size <200, studies on single-visit treatment, and clinical trials on instrumentation and adjunct treatments (P < .05). There was a negative trend for the use of numeric rating scales, studies on multiple-visit treatments, clinical trials on medication/medicament, and studies on pain in maxillary incisors (P < .05). No trend was observed based on pulpal diagnosis or for studies with longer observation periods (>8 weeks) (P > .05).

CONCLUSIONS

A paradigm shift is needed toward clinical studies with larger sample sizes, longer observation periods, and more focus on pulpal diagnoses associated with higher rates of postoperative pain. There is a need to view postoperative pain as an important patient-centered outcome and to develop and disseminate standard reporting guidelines for future studies.

Publication trends in micro-CT endodontic research: a bibliometric analysis over a 25-year period

AIM

To conduct a bibliographic analysis of the research studies published in Endodontics using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) as an analytical tool over a 25-year period.

METHODOLOGY

The Web of Science electronic database was accessed, and an advanced search using strict criteria was undertaken from January 1995 to June 2020 for studies in the field of Endodontics that used micro-CT as an analytical tool. A further search was conducted between January and August of 2020 for a combination of specific terms and descriptors. For each selected article, the following parameters were recorded: field of the study, analysed specimen, publication title and year, authorship, journal of publication, institution and country of origin, collaborating institutions and countries, and number of citations. The acquired data were analysed using descriptive statistics and graphical mappings.

RESULTS

The screening process identified 877 relevant articles that were classified into 30 thematic categories. The main fields of research were root canal preparation (23.8%), root canal anatomy (17.4%), canal filling (9.2%) and root canal retreatment (7.0%). The most productive half-decade comprised the period of 2015-2019 (n = 513; 58.5%), with the highest number of articles published in 2019 (n = 146; 16.6%). The authors who lead the list as first authors were G De-Deus, A Keleş, F Paqué, MA Versiani and Y Gu, respectively, whilst Versiani was the most productive (n = 51). The leading countries regarding the number of studies were Brazil, China and Turkey with 236, 130 and 65 publications, respectively. The University of São Paulo (n = 90; 10.3%) followed by Wuhan University (n = 37; 4.2%) and the University of Zurich (n = 18; 2.1%) were the prominent contributors by producing the largest number of articles, whilst the University of Zurich was the most-cited institution. The selected studies were published in 140 scientific journals, but the Journal of Endodontics and International Endodontic Journal accounted for almost 50% of the publications.

CONCLUSION

This bibliometric analysis portrayed an original and comprehensive view on the progress and trends of the use of micro-CT technology in endodontic research, and enabled a deep understanding of the development process in this field over the last 25 years.

Scientometric analysis of vital pulp therapy studies

AIM

To present a scientometric analysis of the entire body of scientific publications in the field of vital pulp therapy (VPT) and analyse the research trends and popular topics.

METHODOLOGY

A comprehensive literature search was conducted in the Web of Science and Scopus databases on 21 August 2020 to identify all articles related to VPT. The publications were reviewed and basic research parameters were collected, including publication year, patterns of authorship, geographical distribution of scientific productions, journals, h-index, study design and keyword analysis. Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar databases were used for the citation analysis of the ten top cited articles. The data were analysed using VOSviewer and visualized by tables and diagrams.

RESULTS

In total, 1197 VPT-associated items were identified from 64 countries in 176 journals. The majority of papers were published in the Journal of Endodontics. The United States of America was the leading country for number of publications, citations, h-index and collaborations. The distribution of articles based on study design was as follows: basic science (35%), clinical (27%), observational studies (26%) and review publications (12%). The most frequently occurring keywords were pulpotomy, mineral trioxide aggregate, calcium hydroxide and direct pulp capping.

CONCLUSIONS

This scientometric analysis outlines the evolutionary trends and the productivity of researchers and countries in the field of vital pulp therapy. Research output is dominated by basic science articles involving innovative materials published in high impact factor dental journals.

Retrospective evaluation of endodontic case reports published in the International Endodontic Journal and the Journal of Endodontics for their compliance with the PRICE 2020 guidelines

AIM

To evaluate, retrospectively, the quality of previously published case reports in Endodontics according to the PRICE 2020 guidelines.

METHODOLOGY

An electronic literature search was conducted in PubMed database on 12 March 2020, to identify case reports published during the last five years in the International Endodontic Journal and the Journal of Endodontics. For each of the included case reports, information regarding fulfilment of each of the items of the PRICE 2020 guidelines was extracted as '0' (not present in the manuscript), '1' (present in the manuscript) and 'NA' (not applicable) and translated into a score (percentage of items fulfilled). Additionally, the percentage of papers fulfilling each item was calculated.

RESULTS

Overall, 70 endodontic case reports were identified. The scores of the papers ranged between 56.41% and 79.55%, with a mean score of 70.26 ± 4.36% (SD). The percentage of papers fulfilling each item of the applicable PRICE 2020 items ranged widely, between 0% and 100%. The median of the percentage of all the items (n = 47) was 97.01% and mean 73.33 ± 36.28% (SD). The lowest scores were recorded for specific items in the following domains: 'Case Report Information'-Items 6c, 6g-i, 'Patient Perspective'-Item 8a and 'Quality of Images'-Items 12c-d.

CONCLUSIONS

Several areas with low reporting rates were identified in case reports published over the last 5 years in Endodontics. Authors should be encouraged to follow the PRICE 2020 guidelines in order to increase the quality and improve reproducibility of their case reports.

The Contribution of the Brazilian Dental Journal to the Brazilian Scientific Research over 30 Years

The Brazilian Dental Journal (BDJ) was officially launched in 1990, stimulated by the courage and boldness of researchers dedicated to teaching and research in dentistry. The journal was conceived in a worldwide coverage and universal language to allow publication of the results of Brazilian studies, which otherwise would not be accessible to the scientific dental community. In the year we celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of BDJ, this article presents a brief overview of Brazilian dental research and a bibliometric analysis of the articles published in this journal as a contribution to our readers and fellow researchers. The purpose was to identify the mot frequent categories of study, the most published areas of dentistry and BDJ's top 50 most-cited articles in the Scopus and Google Scholar databases. A search was performed on all BDJ online issues published from 1990 to 2019. In this period, BDJ published 1,710 articles. Based on their distribution by category of study, 557 articles were in the basic research/dental materials area, 527 in the basic research/biology area and 280 in the clinical research area. Eight articles were cited more than 100 times in the Scopus database and 266 times in the Google Scholar database. Endodontics was the most published area. This overview of BDJ production over those 30 years allows establishing a profile of the characteristics, impact and trends of the published studies, as well as the journal's contribution to the top 50 most-cited articles in the Scopus and Google Scholar databases.