Mapping scientific production and research trends in dental autotransplantation: a protocol for a bibliometric review

Objective: To map and analyze the scientific literature on dental autotransplantation (DAT) through a bibliometric approach, focusing on publication trends over time, the most productive authors, institutions, and countries, high-impact journals, and frequently used keywords, in order to identify research trends and thematic clusters. Methods: This bibliometric review protocol was developed in accordance with the methodological guidance of the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) and will be reported following the Guidelines for Reporting Bibliometric Reviews of Biomedical Literature (BIBLIO). A comprehensive search will be conducted in MEDLINE (PubMed), EMBASE, CINAHL, LILACS, Cochrane Library, LIVIVO, Web of Science, Scopus, and Epistemonikos, with additional searches in Google Scholar for grey literature. The search strategy will combine controlled vocabulary and free-text terms related to dental autotransplantation, including “Tooth,” “Autotransplantation,” and “Survival Rate,” and their synonyms. The search will be performed on January 29, 2026, with an update on February 24, 2026. No restrictions regarding language or year of publication will be applied. Eligible studies will include randomized and non-randomized clinical trials, observational studies, cohort and case–control studies, and case series, while case reports, letters to the editor, commentaries, and book chapters will be excluded. Study selection and data extraction will be conducted independently by two reviewers, with disagreements resolved by a third reviewer. Extracted data will include authorship, year of publication, country of origin, study design, sample size, outcomes assessed, and main findings. Data will be summarized using absolute and relative frequencies. Temporal trends will be assessed using a Poisson regression model with a logarithmic link (α = 0.05). Analyses will be performed using R software (version 4.3.2) with the bibliometrix package. Conclusion: This bibliometric review will provide a comprehensive overview of the scientific landscape of dental autotransplantation, highlighting publication patterns, collaboration networks, and emerging research themes to inform future research and evidence-based clinical protocols.