Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition in which the upper airway narrows or closes repeatedly during sleep, interrupting normal breathing. To evaluate its trends and advancements, a bibliometric study examining the 50 most frequently referenced articles in dentistry published between 2002 and 2022 was conducted. Methods The Scopus online database was searched for relevant literature on OSA published in the last two decades. VOSviewer software was used for data analyzes, science mapping, and network analysis. A country-based correlation analysis and keywords based on bibliographic data were used to create a co-occurrence network. Results The top 50 most highly cited articles appeared across 17 separate journals, comprising 39 original research articles (78%) and 11 reviews (22%). The top three cited journals were the European Journal of Orthodontics (EJO), Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (JOMS), and American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (AJODO). The bibliometric analysis revealed that the top 50 articles were authored by individuals from 20 different countries, with the USA contributing the greatest number of publications and receiving the highest citation count. Conclusions The 50 most-cited articles primarily focused on the diagnosis and management of OSA, with the highest citations from the EJO, JOMS, and AJODO. Practical Implications This research emphasizes the importance of diagnostic techniques, such as 3D airway imaging and sleep studies (polysomnography), for detecting associated morphological and physiological variations. Orthodontics, oral and maxillofacial surgery, and dental sleep medicine are all addressed in the most-referenced studies, highlighting the impact of craniofacial structures on airway patency and the need for individualized diagnostic and interdisciplinary treatment approaches.
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