Analysis of Theses Written in the Field of Restorative Dentistry in Turkey: A Methodological Study

Introduction This study aims to determine the distribution of theses published in the Department of Restorative Dentistry at the National Thesis Centre of the Council of Higher Education (CoHE) over the last 10 years (2015-2024) according to year, type, university of publication, and field of study through bibliometric analysis, and to evaluate the current status and development of the relevant theses. Methods In this study, only theses available to the public on July 20, 2025 at the Turkish National Thesis Centre (www.tez.yok.gov.tr) were evaluated, and no participants were included. PhD and specialization theses completed between 2015 and 2024 in postgraduate education in Restorative Dentistry in Turkey were examined. Results Of the total 492 postgraduate theses completed in the field of Restorative Dentistry in Turkey between 2015 and 2024, 64 were PhD theses (13.01%) and 428 were specialization theses (86.99%). The highest number of theses was completed in 2022 (18.7%), while the lowest number was completed in 2015 (2.64%). When examining the universities where the theses were conducted, the highest numbers were at Istanbul University and Cumhuriyet University. A total of 97.15% of the theses were prepared at state universities, while 2.85% were prepared at foundation/private universities. In terms of gender distribution, the percentage of female authors (76.83%) was higher than that of male authors (23.17%). Methodologically, the most frequently preferred type of study was laboratory/in vitro studies (83.13%), while artificial intelligence-based studies were the least preferred method, accounting for only 0.61%. Conclusions This study revealed the trends in postgraduate theses in the field of Restorative Dentistry in Turkey between 2015 and 2024. The findings show that some universities stand out in thesis production, female researchers outnumber male researchers, specialization theses dominate over PhD theses, and artificial intelligence-based studies remain quite limited. These data may serve as guidance for future postgraduate education planning and in determining academic priorities.