The 50 most cited articles on soft tissue integration of dental implants: A bibliometric analysis

Statement of problem Soft tissue integration helps prevent the bacterial invasion of dental implants, but bibliometric studies on the top 50 most cited articles in the field of soft tissue integration are lacking. Purpose The purpose of this bibliometric study was to analyze the 50 most cited articles since 1999 to explore global trends and research hotspots. Material and methods A specific search strategy of the Science Citation Index Expanded (Web of Science) was devised, and relevant article-based, journal-based, and author-based parameters were analyzed. Correlation analysis was performed (α=.05). Results The number of citations ranged from 71 to 586. Clinical Oral Implants Research was the most cited journal (1722 citations). Berglundh, Tord was the author with the most publications (6 publications) and citations (957 citations). Dental implants and titanium were the keywords with the highest frequency. Switzerland was the country with the highest number of publications (12 publications). Correlation was found between the publication year and average annual citations (P<.001). Conclusions This study determined the scientific progress in soft tissue integration. The surface design of dental implant materials is essential for the soft tissue integration of dental implants. Soft tissue integration has been a focus of interest in the past few years, but many experiments still need to be done to improve soft tissue compatibility with innovative materials.