Bibliometrics of the Dental Implant Literature: Journals, Countries, and Top-Cited Papers

Background. One potential consequence of the multiplicity of bibliometric studies on dental implants is the emergence of a multifaceted image of the literature on implantology; hence complicating analysis and comprehension by readers. Aim. In order to reduce or correct this distortion and to help readers in their interpretation, we review and analyze the bibliometrics of the dental implant (BDI) literature. Method. Using multiple keywords related to dental implants using databases and general internet browsers, we collected and investigated 49 bibliometric studies through the lens of participating journals, contributing countries, and top-cited papers. Results and Discussion. The USA, Italy, Brazil, and China appear regularly among the most productive countries; two European countries, Sweden and Switzerland play a major role in the academic and economic landscape of dental implants; and four countries, two Middle-Eastern (Saudi Arabia and Iran) and two Asian (India, South Korea) countries, have emerged in the forefront of implantology. Despite the diversity of goals, tools, and approaches used, three journals, Clinical Oral Implants Research, Clinical Implant Dentistry and Related Research, and the International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants, are ranked recurrently among the most productive journals in implantology, and most often used in datasets comprised of a selected number of journals by investigators. Additionally, identifying top-cited papers was used to explore the literature on dental implant. Conclusion. We hope that this study will facilitate researchers, practitioners, politicians, decision-makers, and other actors involved in implantology with their analysis and interpretation of the bibliometric literature on dental implant.