Carvacrol and Magnolol in Dentistry: A Bibliometric Analysis of Research Trends and Emerging Applications in Oral Hygiene and Prosthodontics

Background: Carvacrol and magnolol are natural bioactive compounds increasingly studied for their antibacterial, antifungal, and antibiofilm properties in oral health. This study mapped the current research landscape on carvacrol and magnolol in dental medicine, with an emphasis on oral hygiene and prosthodontics, via a bibliometric analysis of literature published in 2016–2026. Methods: VOSviewer and Bibliometrix were used to analyze publication trends, collaboration, citation and co-citation patterns, keyword co-occurrence, and bibliographic coupling. Results: A total of 65 articles from 56 journals met the inclusion criteria. International collaboration stood at 24.62%, and a total of 445 authors contributed to these articles. For a minimum of two documents per country, two clusters were observed, with Iran and Italy being the countries with the most connections. The most cited and co-cited publications focused mainly on the antibacterial, antifungal, and antibiofilm activity of carvacrol against oral pathogens, particularly Candida albicans and Streptococcus mutans, while magnolol-related research remained comparatively limited. Keyword and bibliographic coupling analyses confirmed an interdisciplinary but still fragmented field, spanning complementary medicine, microbiology, dentistry, and pharmacology. Conclusions: Research on carvacrol and magnolol in dental medicine is real but still developing. Carvacrol has shown promising antibacterial, antifungal, and antibiofilm activity in experimental studies and is increasingly investigated as a potential natural adjunct or alternative to synthetic antiseptics; however, its clinical effectiveness has not yet been demonstrated, as the available evidence remains predominantly preclinical. Magnolol remains considerably underexplored. Randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these findings, particularly in prosthodontics and oral hygiene.