Benchmarking the endodontic literature on MEDLINE

Area of Science:

• Dental research
• Endodontics
• Medical literature analysis

Background:

• Clinical decision-making in endodontics relies on available scientific literature.
• Quantifying this literature is essential for assessing the evidence base.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify and quantify the volume of endodontic literature relevant for clinical decision-making.
• To analyze trends in endodontic publications over time.

Main Methods:

• Developed a Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) based search strategy for endodontics.
• Utilized MEDLINE database, limiting searches to human subjects and English language articles.
• Applied sensitive and specific methodological filters to categorize literature (etiology, diagnosis, therapy, prognosis).
• Subdivided results by year (1990-1998) to identify publication trends.

Main Results:

• Between 1990 and 1998, 3,152 English-language articles on human endodontics were identified in MEDLINE.
• Annual publication counts showed a consistent increase of 1-3% across all categories (etiology, diagnosis, therapy, prognosis).
• Approximately 150 endodontic articles per year, published in at least 120 journals, were available for clinical decision-making.

Conclusions:

• A growing body of endodontic literature is available to support clinical decision-making.
• The increasing trend suggests a developing evidence base for endodontic practice.
• Clinicians have access to a substantial number of peer-reviewed articles for informed treatment planning.