Evaluation of dentin tubule penetration studies in evidence-based endodontics: A bibliometric and scientific analysis of articles published in the last decade

Year 2025, Volume: 49 Issue: 3, 132 - 142, 12.12.2025

Gülçin Cagay Sevencan

https://doi.org/10.65022/clindentres.1696079

Abstract

Background and Aim: Dentin tubule penetration is important for successful endodontic treatment, but a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of recent research is missing. The purpose was to perform bibliometric analysis of scientific publications on dentin tubule penetration in endodontics over the past decade.
Materials and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using the Clarivate Analytics Web of Science Core Collection using specific search terms included: ‘dentin tubule penetration’ ‘tubule penetration’ ‘dentinal tubule penetration’ ‘sealer penetration’, covering the years 2015 to 2024. For each article the following data were recorded: title, authors, institution, country, journal name, impact factor, year of publication, citation count, keywords and abstracts. Bibliometric mapping was performed using VosViewer software.
Results: A total of 175 relevant articles were analyzed out of 206 initially identified. The most productive countries in this research area are Türkiye, Brazil, and China, respectively. Most studies were laboratory-based, focusing obturation related studies on sealer penetration. The Australian Endodontic Journal published the highest number of articles on this topic. The year 2021 had the highest publication output. Top contributing institutions include University of Sao Paulo, Hacettepe University, and Bezmi Alem Foundation University. Research mainly focused on the impact of obturation techniques, irrigation solutions, activation protocols, microbial presence, and smear layer removal on sealer penetration.
Conclusion: This bibliometric study highlights current research trends in dentin tubule penetration studies, with a noticeable increase in contributions from Asia. The findings suggest a significant lack of in vivo research, indicating a valuable direction for future studies.

Keywords

endodontics , dentin tubule penetration , WOS , bibliometrics , SCIE

Ethical Statement

No clinical data, human samples, or laboratory animals were included in this study. All the information was obtained from public Web of Science, and no personal privacy data exists.

Supporting Institution

None.

Thanks

None.

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