Bibliometric Mapping of Studies Assessing Genotoxicity and Cytotoxicity From Cone Beam Computed Tomography Versus Panoramic Radiography Using Exfoliated Buccal Cells.

Abstract

Radiation-induced cellular damage is a well-known phenomenon; its negative effects during diagnostic procedures have received less attention. Numerous diagnostic modalities are being examined for their impact on cells, and interest in this field has been steadily increasing. There is a gap in the bibliometric features of this field of study since the theme evolution, prominent institutions, and journals reporting them have been examined less, and no bibliometric analysis on the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of dental radiation has been published thus far. The present bibliometric analysis aimed to evaluate the methodological characteristics, geographical distribution, global research trends, citation patterns of studies, and institutional contributions of published literature that investigated the genotoxic and cytotoxic effects of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) and panoramic radiography on oral mucosal cells. PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science were searched for original research studies using search strategies designed and customized according to the database. Publications according to year, country, and modality of imaging were first analyzed. Subsequently, the study sample size, the type of analysis used, institutional contributions, journal-wise output, funding sources, radiation dose used, and top-cited papers were reported based on the collected data. Thirty-five articles were included in the bibliometric analysis. There is a gradual increase in publications over time. Orthopantomogram (OPG) is the most common assessing modality, followed by CBCT. Micronucleus assays have been predominantly performed, followed by genotoxicity and cytotoxicity assays. Bibliometric analysis showed a rise in interest in this subject, although geographic distribution and methodology were not satisfactory. Future studies may bear these facts in mind and proceed in a more logical direction, enhancing the knowledge of toxicity due to diagnostic radiation.