Global Research Trends in Children’s Oral Health Education: A Bibliometric Analysis of Scopus Publications (1929–2023)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Review Article.

Authors

1 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

2 Social Determinants of Health Research Center, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran.

3 Epidemiology and Biostatistics Department, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

4 Basic Sciences Research Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

5 Independent researcher, Founder and manager of Neurosense AI, Mashhad, Iran.

6 Health Education and Health Promotion Department, School of Health, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.

Abstract

Background and objective: children’s oral health education plays an important role in preventing oral diseases and promoting lifelong healthy behaviors. This study aimed to systematically map global research trends, intellectual structure, and thematic development of oral health education in children.

Materials and Methods: This bibliometric analysis publications indexed in the Scopus database from 1929 to 2023. A total of 11,389 records were initially retrieved, of which 335 articles met the inclusion criteria and were analyzed. Data were examined using bibliometric indicators, co-citation analysis, bibliographic coupling, and keyword co-occurrence mapping with VOSviewer (version 1.6.20).

Results: The analysis identified ten major research clusters, including caries prevention, behavioral interventions, clinical approaches, public health promotion, and standardized indicators. The United States (43 publications, 606 citations) and India (42 publications, 573 citations) were the most productive countries. Influential studies by Samuel (2020) and Carvalho (1992) showed strong citation links. Recent research trends emphasize school-based interventions, preventive programs, and behavioral change strategies.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates a shift in pediatric oral health research from clinical treatment toward prevention-oriented and education-based approaches. The findings provide evidence for identifying research gaps, supporting international collaboration, and informing the design of effective oral health promotion programs and policies, particularly for underserved populations.

Keywords

Acknowledgements: The researchers, hereby, express their gratitude to the Vice Chancellor for Research of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences for financial support. The gratitude is extended to all researchers of studies reviewed here. 


Availability of data and materials: The datasets generated and/or analyzed during the current study are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions but are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.


Conflict of interest: None to declare. 


Consent for publication: Not applicable.


Ethics approval and consent to participate: Ethical approval for this study was granted by the Ethics Committee of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (No. IR.MUMS.FHMPM.REC.1402.083). The research was carried out in full compliance with the ethical principles of the Declaration of Helsinki.


Funding: This study was supported by a research grant (No. 4020381) from Mashhad University of Medical Sciences.


Authors' Contribution: Design of study: Monavvar Afzal Aghaee, Nooshin Peyman, Fatemeh Goldani-Moghaddam– Article screening: Fatemeh Goldani-Moghaddam, Monavvar Afzal Aghaee - Analysis: Zahra Zahedi – Writing the first draft: Fatemeh Goldani-Moghaddam, Monavvar Afzal Aghaee, Nooshin Peyman,  Zahra Zahedi - Writing and editing: All authors reviewed the results and approved the final manuscript.

 

Open Access Policy: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. To view a copy of this licence, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Journal of Health Literacy

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 13 June 2026

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