Bibliometric analysis of scientific production on botulinum toxin and dentistry: Collaboration, impact, and trends

Abstract Aim: To conduct a detailed examination of the scientific literature on the topic of botulinum toxin in relation to dentistry, using bibliometric analysis methods. Materials and Methods: This study employed a retrospective and descriptive design with a bibliometric approach. The research focused on the intersection of botulinum toxin and dentistry, analyzing articles published from 2018 to 2023. This search was conducted on September 21, 2023. These articles were then organized and analyzed through metadata analysis. The selection criteria were defined based on the PICO question. Inclusion criteria encompassed research articles related to botulinum toxin and dentistry, published between 2018 and 2023, available in Scopus, and containing the specified keywords. Exclusion criteria were set to omit review articles, editorials, letters to the editor, commentaries, articles not written in English, articles that had not undergone peer review, and those whose full text was not accessible. This approach allowed for an objective measurement of variables using SciVal from Scopus, ensuring the reliability and validity of the study findings. The progressive increase in scientific production on botulinum toxin and dentistry over the last five years was thus effectively captured and analyzed. Results: From 2018 to 2023, the scientific production on botulinum toxin and dentistry was higher in Q2 and Q1. 2019 was the only year where there were a higher number of publications in Q1, since in the other years the publications were mostly in Q2. The scientific journal with the highest average of publications on this topic was the British Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Most of the publications were from Peking University, China, and the Universidade de Sao Paulo. The most prolific author was Paulo César Rodrigues Conti, and the countries with the most publications on botulinum toxin and dentistry were the United States and Brazil. Conclusions: During the last five years, the scientific production on botulinum toxin and dentistry has progressively increased, with most of the publications being in the Q2 and Q1 quartiles. The United States was the country with the highest number of publications. The author, Paulo César Rodrigues Conti, was the researcher with the highest average manuscripts.