Dental fear and dental anxiety: bibliometric analysis of the 100 most frequently cited papers.

Abstract

Dental fear and anxiety are feelings that are often present at dental appointments and have been studied for a long time.

Aim: To identify and critically review the 100 most frequently cited papers on dental fear and dental anxiety (DFA).

Materials and method: The 100 most frequently cited papers on DFA were retrieved from Web of Sciences (All databases) using a combined search strategy. Key bibliometric indicators were extracted. The methodological quality of the studies was assessed by the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool (MMAT) except for reviews and systematic reviews, which were evaluated by the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) tool.

Results: Citations for the 100 most frequently cited papers ranged from 81 to 882. The largest number of papers was from the United States of America (22 papers; 3850 citations). Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology was the journal with highest number of papers (27 papers; 3153 citations). The most frequently cited author was Corah NL (1390 citations). Cross-sectional study design was the most common (67 studies). The topics covered by the studies were diverse, highlighting studies on the development and validation of assessment tools. There were 17 validated assessment tools, of which The Dental Anxiety Scale was the most often used (28 studies). There were five terms used to refer to DFA. Most papers were of intermediate quality.

Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis identified the 100 most frequently cited papers on DFA and the topics covered. "Dental anxiety" was the term most often used, although more recent research includes both "fear" and "anxiety". The Dental Anxiety scale was the most frequently used assessment tool. Higher quality papers are encouraged to improve knowledge on DFA.