Odontology (2005-2025): historical perspectives and publication trends based on a metric-based analysis

Odontology is a prominent journal in the field of dentistry. This study aimed to analyze articles published in odontology through a bibliometric and altmetric review. A search was conducted in Scopus in August 2025. The following data were extracted: number and density of citations, year of publication, language, access type, document type, study design, research area, financing agency, country, institution, authorship, and keywords. VOSviewer was used to generate collaboration maps, while dimensions provided altmetric data. Google trends was consulted to assess the popularity of search interest related to odontology. Spearman's correlation was applied to evaluate the relationship between citations and publication year. A total of 1257 articles were included. Citation counts ranged from 0 to 432, and publications spanned from 2005 to 2025. Research articles were the most common document type (n = 1110). The majority of studies were laboratory-based (n = 871), most frequently associated with oral diagnosis (n = 263). Japan led in the number of publications (n = 396), and The Nippon Dental University was the most prolific institution (n = 183). Endo T was identified as the most productive author (n = 19). VOSviewer visualizations indicated international and author-level collaborations. A high level of engagement was observed among mendeley readers and X (formerly twitter) users. Odontology has experienced a steady growth in publications over the past two decades. Most studies were laboratory-based, with a strong focus on oral diagnosis. Social interest was particularly evident among users of mendeley and X.