From tradition to innovation: a bibliometric analysis of the evolution of periodontal plastic surgery.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the periodontal plastic surgery literature to identify trends, research gaps, and key themes within the field and to establish a perspective on documented research.

Methods: This bibliometric study examined research outputs on mucogingival surgery indexed in the Web of Science database from 1990 to 2023. The Science Mapping Analysis Tool (SciMAT) software was used to visualize and predict research trends on this topic.

Results: An analysis of publication distribution by year revealed a decline in the number of publications between 1984 and 1995, followed by an overall upward trend after 1996 despite occasional decreases. The United States contributed the most with 593 publications, and Wang HL (n=74) was the most prolific author. The most frequently used keyword was "gingival recession" (n=625). Overall, the publications received 44,859 citations, averaging 25.49 citations per publication.

Conclusions: Researchers have made significant efforts to improve clinical practices and procedures in periodontal plastic surgery, resulting in an increase in studies over recent years. By analyzing thematic maps and clusters-using indicators such as frequency, citations, and centrality-researchers can identify the strengths, weaknesses, and gaps in current research.