What question did this study set out to answer?

This research aims to quantitatively map the evolution of studies concerning the oral microbiome in periodontitis since 2000.

April 22, 2026

Mapping the Research Landscape and Evolutionary Trends of the Oral Microbiome in Periodontitis

Key Points

This research aims to quantitatively map the evolution of studies concerning the oral microbiome in periodontitis since 2000.
Analyzed English-language articles from 2000 to 2025 using Web of Science and Scopus databases.
Conducted bibliometric analyses on 2827 unique publications to explore distributions and thematic evolution.
Examined collaboration patterns and citation bursts to identify emerging research trends.
Detected exponential growth in publications post-2020, particularly from the US and China.
Noted a thematic shift from focusing on single pathogens to emphasizing ecological frameworks and microbial interactions.
Recent bursts in citations indicate rising interest in microbial community structures and microbiome-based therapies.

Abstract

The conceptual transition from the "Red Complex" paradigm to the "Ecological Plaque Hypothesis" has fundamentally reshaped the understanding of periodontitis, but a quantitative mapping of this intellectual evolution and its emerging research frontiers remains limited. This study systematically characterized the global research landscape and evolutionary trends of the oral microbiome in periodontitis from 2000 to 2025. English-language articles published between 2000 and 17 November 2025 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus databases. After deduplication, bibliometric analyses were performed on 2827 unique publications to evaluate spatiotemporal distributions, collaboration patterns, thematic evolution, and citation bursts. The results revealed exponential growth in publications, particularly after 2020, with the United States and China leading global contributions. Thematic evolution analyses demonstrated a clear shift from single-pathogen-focused research, exemplified by Porphyromonas gingivalis, toward ecological frameworks emphasizing dysbiosis and microbial community structure. Recent citation bursts highlighted growing attention to broader microbial taxa, inflammatory mediators, clinically relevant periodontal indicators, microbiome-based therapeutic strategies, and methodological standardization. Overall, research on the oral microbiome in periodontitis has evolved toward a host-microbiome systems biology framework, with future studies likely to emphasize functional multi-omics integration, AI-assisted diagnostics, and precision interventions targeting oral-systemic health links.

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