A Bibliometric Analysis of 3D Printing in Orthodontics: A Cross-Sectional Research

Objective: This bibliometric analysis aims to provide a general assessment of advancements in and the current state of 3 dimensional (3D) printing technologies as well as to review the literature on the clinical applications of such technologies in orthodontics. Material and Methods: On July 7, 2024, a detailed electronic search was conducted in the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases for terms related to 3D printing in orthodontics. This search yielded 467 publications in WoSCC and 676 in Scopus, which were exported, merged, and processed to remove duplicates (410) and irrelevant publications, resulting in 595 publications for analysis. The bibliometric analysis was performed using VOSviewer and the Bibliometrix Biblioshiny R package. Adjustments were made to the dataset to correct errors in author names, countries, journals, and institutions. Results: A total of 595 articles were included in this study. The top 5 most productive countries in terms of published articles were the United States of America, China, Italy, Germany, and India. The most prolific journal has been The American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics. The main themes highlighted in the articles include ''digital workflow,'' ''bone regeneration'' and ''3D imaging''. The most frequently used keywords were ''3D printing'', ''orthodontics'', and ''additive manufacturing''. The most influential author was Kasper F. Kurtis, who accounted for 16 articles and 406 citations. Conclusion: This bibliometric analysis has revealed the current state of 3D printing technology in orthodontics, the increasing number of publications, the main research themes, and its impact through leading countries, journals, and authors.