Oral health-related quality of life in systemic disease patients: A bibliometric analysis and visualization from 2001 to 2024

BACKGROUND: Oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) serves as a key measure for understanding how systemic health conditions affect oral health and daily functioning. This study aims to systematically analyze the research on the relationship between OHRQoL and systemic diseases using scientometric methods, with the goal of uncovering research trends, hotspots, and frontiers. METHODS: Publications from the Web of Science were analyzed using GraphPad Prism, Bibliometrix, VOSviewer, and CiteSpace. Results were visualized. RESULTS: A total of 441 documents (2001-2024) were included. Publication output steadily increased, with a surge in 2020. Core authors, journals, and institutions were mainly from developed countries. Frequent keywords included "OHRQoL," "oral health," "impact," "validation," and "periodontal disease." Twelve keyword clusters were identified: "oral cancer," "oral squamous cell carcinoma," "breast neoplasms," "oral health," and "dental care" were key hotspots. "Osteoporosis" and "benign mucous membrane" emerged as novel themes, while "consensus," "older people," "2017 World Workshop," and "dry mouth" showed strong bursts. CONCLUSIONS: Research has advanced significantly, with developed countries as key contributors. Cancer, periodontitis, and the validation tools are central topics. Aging populations, and systemic or oral diseases in older adults are expected to shape future directions.