Research Hotspots and Emerging Trends of Orthodontic-Related Discomfort and Pain: A Bibliometric Review.

Background: Given the increasing volume of scientific research on orthodontic-related discomfort and pain (ORDP) in recent years and the scarcity of related quantitative analyses, this study aims to analyze the research hotspots and emerging trends of ORDP with the bibliometric method. Materials and Methods: A systematic search within the Web of Science Core Collection database was conducted on 30th April 2024. After manually screening and removing duplicate or irrelevant publications, we collected relevant studies for comprehensive bibliometric analysis, encompassing analyses of countries, institutions, authors, journals, documents, and keywords, which were performed using VOSviewer 1.6.19 and CiteSpace 5.7R5. Results: A total of 970 publications were included in the bibliometric analysis. A significant upward trend in the annual publication output was observed, peaking in 2020. China (n = 120) has the highest publication output, representing 12.9% of the documents, while the United States has the highest citation count (2778). Sichuan University (n = 47), contributing 5.08% of all publications, accounts for the largest volume of literature in the ORDP research field. The American Journal of Orthodontics and Dentofacial Orthopedics (n = 91) was identified as the most productive journal in this domain. Furthermore, a comprehensive keyword analysis revealed five clusters for ORDP research and provided insights into the hotspots and trends. ORDP associated with invisible orthodontics, laser therapy to manage ORDP, and ORDP related to accelerated orthodontic tooth movement surgery are burgeoning areas of research interest. Conclusion: This study reveals the global research distribution in the field of ORDP over time and across regions, highlighting key contributors across various dimensions. The field of ORDP has experienced significant growth, with emerging interests in invisible orthodontics, laser therapy for ORDP management, and accelerated orthodontic techniques. Further high-quality research is needed to explore personalized appliance selection, optimize innovative orthodontic technique processes, and establish specific protocols for promising management strategies such as low-level laser therapy.