Global trends and challenges in childhood caries: a 20-year bibliometric review

Childhood caries is a prevalent condition affecting nearly 50% of children globally across various age groups under 12 years, posing serious implications for their health and development. Understanding global research trends is essential for identifying knowledge gaps and guiding future studies aimed at developing effective intervention strategies. This study provides a comprehensive bibliometric review of childhood caries research from 2003 to 2023. Using CiteSpace, we analyzed 2,178 publications from the Web of Science (WOS) to map research trends, identify key challenges, and examine collaborative networks. The analysis revealed a threefold increase in research output, with the United States and Brazil leading contributions. Key challenges include persistent socioeconomic disparities influencing caries prevalence, limited access to effective treatments like silver diamine fluoride, and the complex role of the oral microbiome. International collaborations across 108 countries indicate a growing global effort to address these issues. Despite advancements, significant disparities in disease burden persist, especially in low- and middle-income countries, highlighting the urgent need to translate research into practice and develop targeted interventions. This review highlights the steady increase in research output on childhood caries over the past two decades, with the United States and Brazil leading contributions. Persistent disparities in disease burden and limited access to effective treatments remain critical challenges, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. These findings underscore the need for targeted research and policy efforts to address these inequities.