Bibliometric Mapping of Digitalization in Orthodontics: Evaluating Scientific Contributions, Collaboration Networks, and Future Directions.

Abstract

Objective: To map scholarly trends in digital orthodontics by quantifying publication growth, identifying influential contributors and collaboration networks, and delineating emerging research themes.

Methods: A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the records published between January 2000 and May 2024 from the Web of Science Core Collection; VOSviewer was used to analyze co-authorship networks, keyword co-occurrence, institutional productivity, and citation patterns.

Results: A total of 1,567 publications were analyzed. Research output markedly increased after 2020 and peaked in 2023. The United States, Italy, and China were the leading contributing countries. Key institutions included Peking University, Radboud University, and the University of São Paulo. The most frequently cited authors were Xu, Kuijpers-Jagtman, and Lo Giudice. Major thematic clusters were centered on three-dimensional printing, artificial intelligence, and digital modeling.

Conclusion: In recent years, digital orthodontics research has considerably accelerated, thus expanding international collaboration and rapid technological innovation. A limitation of this study is that coverage may differ from that of multi-database approaches. In addition, future bibliometric assessments should be complemented by qualitative appraisals and clinical outcome- oriented evaluations to strengthen translational relevance.