Treatment methods for temporomandibular disorders: a bibliometric analysis

Aim: This study aimed to analyze in detail the authors, journals, keywords and cited references of relevant publications in the treatment of Temporomandibular Disorders (TMD) in the Web of Science Core Collection scientific database between 2020 and 2024 by bibliometric methods, as well as to categorize and examine the treatment methods used in TMD.Methods: Studies published from 2020 to 2024 were retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection on March 20, 2024.A total of 200 studies were included in the bibliometric analysis.Common word analyses were performed with the VOSViewer application.The full texts of 91 articles were examined to categorize treatment approaches using descriptive content analysis based on citation prominence.The categorization of treatment methods was conducted as a descriptive content analysis of highly cited studies and does not constitute a formal systematic review.Results: Lobbezoo F. was the author of most studies on TMD treatment methods.The leading journal in terms of publications was The Journal of Oral Rehabilitation.The most frequently used keyword was 'temporomandibular disorder'.The three most used treatment methods were occlusal splint therapy, physical modalities and electrotherapy, and pharmacological treatment.Conclusion: To the best of our knowledge, this study provides a comprehensive recent bibliometric categorization of treatment approaches used in TMD.Our study may provide researchers planning studies on TMD treatment with a comprehensive overview of a large dataset and the opportunity to conduct further research on the results.