Mandibular canal variations are anatomical structures that occur as a result of errors in the fusion of primitive canals during the embryological process and are of clinical importance in oral surgery, implantology, and local anesthesia. The aim of the present study was to examine the scientific production, conceptual structure, research trends, and thematic development of the literature related to these variations using bibliometric analysis. The data were obtained by screening articles indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection database between 1995 and 2025. For the bibliometric analysis, the bibliometrix package was used through R, RStudio, and Biblioshiny. Annual Scientific Production, Keyword Co-occurrence Analysis, Trend Topics Analysis, Thematic Map Analysis, and Thematic Evolution Analysis related to the topic were examined. Scientific production in the related field showed an increasing trend over the years. Keyword network analysis demonstrated that the terms “mandibular canal,” “inferior alveolar nerve,” “cone-beam computed tomography,” and “bifid mandibular canal” were prominent. Trend and thematic analyses showed that research trends shifted over time from implant surgery and basic anatomical variations toward CBCT-based imaging, surgical planning, and the prevention of complications. The results of this study demonstrated that scientific production related to mandibular canal variations has increased over the years and that research trends in the field have changed with the widespread use of three-dimensional imaging modalities, particularly cone-beam computed tomography.
Menduh Sercan Kaya (2026) studied this question.