Exploring masticatory performance: a bibliometric analysis of studies published in the Web of Science database from 1950 to 2024

Objectively evaluating an individual's capacity for food fragmentation (masticatory performance) is crucial for understanding oral physiology and dental rehabilitation processes. Our aim was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the literature focusing on masticatory performance. We conducted a survey in Web of Science up to August 31, 2024, applying specific category filters. Two calibrated reviewers manually tabulated the data, extracting information on title, authorship, keywords, institutions, countries, number of citations, year of publication, journal title, study design, masticatory test, population, and dentition status. VosViewer software generated collaborative network maps, while JAMOVI was used to perform ANOVA and Poisson regression analyses. The selection process resulted in 814 articles published between 1950 and 2024, with a recent increase to at least 50 articles per year. The average impact factor was 3.16, with around 30 citations per article. Citations were significantly influenced by the masticatory performance technique, publication year, and journal impact factor. The comminution test was the most prevalent (n = 411). Most studies focused on adults (n = 420) and older adults (n = 361), in which natural dentition (n = 404) and complete dentures (n = 214) were the most widely assessed parameters. The most frequent study designs were cross-sectional (n=489) and prospective (n = 145). The leading countries were Japan (n=202), Brazil (n=134), and the Netherlands (n = 69), and the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation was the most recurrent journal (n = 162). This study highlights the growing interest in evaluating masticatory performance, with a significant increase in publications over the years. This study highlights the need for further research involving children and longitudinal study designs, as well as studies evaluating rehabilitations with removable partial denture and implant-supported prostheses.