The Application of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Dentistry: A Bibliometric Analysis

The aim of this analysis was to investigate the historical development, current status, and research hotspots related to the application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in dentistry from 2000 to 2024.

Topic searches related to "MRI" and "dentistry" were used to retrieve articles from the Web of Science Core Collection. The results were analyzed using VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and the Bibliometrix R package, including the examination of annual publication trends and analysis of authors, countries, institutions, keyword co-occurrences, and research frontiers.

A total of 2385 publications were included in this study. The annual publications showed an overall increasing trend, particularly after 2010. The top contributing countries were Japan, China, and the United States. The leading institutions included Shanghai Jiao Tong University and Tokyo Medical and Dental University. The most common research hotspots were temporomandibular joint disorders, oral and maxillofacial oncology, and dental implantology. Emerging trends highlighted the integration of artificial intelligence, radiomics, and multimodal imaging. International collaboration networks are expanding but remain uneven globally, with limited participation from low- and middle-income countries.

MRI in dentistry has evolved from an emergent topic into a maturing, multidisciplinary field of increasing clinical importance. Its benefits, however, are realized only within properly shielded, well-governed MR facilities staffed by trained personnel; accordingly, widespread installation of scanners in stand-alone dental clinics remains unlikely. Safe and scalable adoption will depend on strengthened international collaboration and the accelerated, evidence-based translation of technology within hospital-based services where infrastructure and safety governance are already established.