What are the research trends on the use of polyetheretherketone (PEEK) in dentistry? A bibliometric analysis

Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) has been increasingly studied in dentistry for its positive mechanical properties and biocompatibility, metal-free composition, and computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (CAD-CAM) applicability, yet a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research trends is lacking.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends, characteristics, and collaborative networks of articles related to PEEK's use in dentistry.

An electronic search was conducted in October 2024 in the Web of Science Core Collection (Wos-CC) by combining MeSH terms and keywords related to PEEK and dentistry. The terms were crossed with Boolean operators, and no restrictions were applied regarding year or language, but conference proceedings were excluded. Four researchers independently screened and selected studies, extracting data on citation count and density, year of publication, journal, 2024 impact factor (IF), study design, thematic focus, topic, authorship, institutions, countries, and continents. Collaborative networks were generated using the VOSviewer software program. The Spearman rank correlation coefficient was calculated to assess the relationship between citation count and journal IF and between citations and publication year.

The search resulted in 995 articles, of which 694 were included. Publications ranged from 2007 to 2024, peaking in 2022 (n=137). The most cited article received 535 citations. Dental Materials and Polymers were the most frequently included journals (n=36 each), and laboratory studies were the most common study design (n=527). Prosthodontics was the most studied area (n=286), highlighting implants (n=74), prosthetic components (n=58), and infrastructure (n=56) made with PEEK. Stawarczyk B was the author with the highest number of articles (n=28). Jilin University (China) was the institution with the highest production (n=18), with China being the leading country in publications (n=131). Asia led the number of publications (n=348). The VOSviewer analysis showed intense collaboration among authors.

Bibliometric analysis is a powerful tool for mapping global research, highlighting trends, collaborative networks, and unexplored topics to guide future research. This study demonstrates that PEEK is increasingly prominent in dentistry, particularly in Asia, with emphasis on prosthetic devices and materials; however, further clinical validation is still required.