Visualization Analysis and Knowledge Structure Evolution of Hydrogel Applications in Dentistry

Hydrogels have emerged as advanced biomaterials in dentistry. However, traditional methods that rely on subjective expert judgment struggle to systematically and objectively capture the field's overall developmental trajectory and research hotspots amid its vast and rapidly expanding literature, lacking robust data-driven evidence. To address this gap, this study employs text mining and visual quantitative analysis to construct knowledge graphs, thereby mapping the dynamic evolutionary pathways and emerging trends within the dental hydrogel domain.

Web of Science (WoS) core database was used to retrieve the publications related to dental hydrogel research published from 1995 to 2025. The publication type was limited to Articles (English). VOSviewer 1.6.20, Citespace 6.2.R 7, and Bibliometix R-package 4.3.1 were employed for bibliometric analysis and scientific mapping of retrieved data.

A total of 1239 articles were included; Key findings reveal sustained growth in publication output, with a sharp increase over the past decade. Primary contributing journals include Dental Materials and Biomaterials, while China, the United States, and Brazil are core research nations. Significant collaborative clusters have formed around institutions such as Sichuan University and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Crucially, cluster analysis, co-occurrence analysis, and burst detection of keywords clearly identify current hotspots ("Hydrogel," "Scaffold," "in Vitro," "Stem Cell," "Differentiation") and emerging trends ("Hyaluronic Acid," "Injectable Hydrogel," "Inflammation").

This study provides an unprecedented objective perspective and global insight in dental hydrogel research, offering robust support for quantitatively identifying critical domain content and predicting future research directions.

Bibliometrics in dental hydrogel research highlights emerging trends and knowledge gaps, enabling clinicians to adopt optimized biomaterials for targeted drug delivery and tissue regeneration, while mapping research hotspots and collaborations to accelerate evidence-based clinical translation in caries therapy, periodontal repair, and minimally invasive dentistry.