Global trends in pediatric dental general anesthesia services: a bibliometric analysis of the most influential literature

Background: This study aimed to perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the literature on dental general anesthesia (DGA) in pediatric patients. Methods: A structured search was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science to identify original research articles and case reports/series related to DGA in children. The final citation rankings were based exclusively on Scopus. Two independent reviewers selected eligible articles. The following bibliometric data were extracted and analyzed: publication trends, citation metrics, influential journals, authors, countries, institutions, keywords, and thematic analysis. Bibliometric mapping and data analysis were conducted using biblioshiny in RStudio 4.4.2. Results: This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the 100 most-cited articles related to pediatric DGA. Most articles have been published since 2014, with Pediatric Dentistry emerging as the most prolific journal. The USA contributed the highest number of publications and citations. Thematic mapping revealed that the keyword groups “quality of life”, “follow up”, “pain”, “premedication”, and “caries recurrence” are currently the most preferred and actively researched topics. Conclusions: This analysis highlights a growing emphasis on patient-centered outcomes such as pain management, quality of life, and long-term follow-up. These trends underscore the need for integrated, preventive, and multidisciplinary approaches to ensure sustainable oral health outcomes in children.

Bibliometric analysis; Dental general anesthesia; Pediatric dentistry

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