A Bibliometric Analysis of the Top 100 Cited Qualitative Research Papers in Dentistry From Scopus (1998-2024).

This bibliometric analysis aimed to identify trends among the top 100 most cited qualitative research articles in dentistry. Articles were retrieved from the Scopus database and screened based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final set of 100 articles was then analyzed in R Studio (RStudio Team, Boston, MA) to assess performance metrics, including publication and citation trends, citation-publication relationships, and science mapping. Science mapping offers insights into citation analysis, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, co-word analysis, and co-authorship patterns. The top 100 articles had citation counts ranging from 11 to 606, with publication dates spanning from 1998 to 2021, and were coauthored by 351 individuals across 35 different journals. Most papers originated from Europe, followed by North America and Asia. The United Kingdom contributed the most articles (27), and BMC Oral Health was the most frequently cited journal. Among the 351 authors, Hallberg U. was the most cited. The predominant study design was descriptive quantitative. Keyword analysis revealed diverse thematic groupings, reflecting the broad scope of qualitative research in dentistry. Key trending topics included dental care, attitude to health, child, health behavior, dental caries, clinical competence, psychological aspects, and motivation. This bibliometric evaluation provides an overview of qualitative research trends in dentistry and offers valuable insights to guide future research, emphasizing the need for high-quality qualitative studies across various dental fields to strengthen evidence-based practice.