Tracing the Footsteps of Dental Anesthesiology: A Bibliometric Analysis of Anesthesia Progress.

Abstract

The widespread availability of the internet in recent years has made it easier to use electronic databases, and bibliometric analysis is now being carried out in a variety of fields. This method aimed to investigate the characteristics and trends of dental anesthesiology research published in Anesthesia Progress, the oldest and most authoritative journal in the field, from its inception in 1966 to 2023. We identified the 50 most-cited articles to evaluate the impact and evolution of research in this field. The search was conducted by entering "Anesthesia Progress" in the "Source Title" field, which is one of the search items in the Scopus database. The results were sorted by number of citations, and the bibliographic information for the top 50 most-cited articles was downloaded. The analysis revealed that most of these influential papers originated in the United States (60%), highlighting its dominance in dental anesthesiology research. Key topics identified included "sedation" and "local anesthesia," reflecting an increasing emphasis on pain management and psychological support in dental care. The findings also indicated a modest decline in the proportion of scientific reports, suggesting potential stagnation in new research contributions over time. Furthermore, index keyword analysis illustrated a growing specialization in addressing anxiety and pain associated with dental procedures. This study underscores the need for enhanced research and innovation in dental anesthesiology to meet the evolving needs of clinical practice and improve patient care.