Evaluation of laser-activated irrigation on evidence-based endodontology: a bibliometric and scientometric analysis of recent articles

Aim: To identify the research articles on laser use in endodontic irrigation in the last 5 years and conduct a bibliographic analysis. Materials & Methods: A literature search was conducted through an online database, Web of Science, by using the Clarivate search engine. The search strategy was as follows in all fields including the database: the main keyword was "Endodontics" and the secondary were "Laser" and "irrigation". The time frame was limited to the last 5 years until May 2022. The search was restricted to mainly focusing on endodontics concerning laser-activated irrigation, therefore all papers were manually screened for inclusion. Title, first author, institute/country, number of authors, journal name, impact factor, year, citation, keywords, and abstracts were recorded. VOSviewer version 1.6.10 software was used to map the bibliometric network. Results: A total of 30 articles published by indexed journals (Web of Science Index) between 2017-2022 years were included in the study. 17 countries contributed to the research and publications in the field, with/without collaborations. The most prolific country in the field is Turkiye with the highest contribution rates (33,3%). The highest number of publications was published by `Photomedicine and Laser Surgery' with 6 articles. Conclusions: The bibliometric analysis overviewed the current trends, leading journals, and countries in terms of the research focused on laser use in endodontic irrigation. The most-cited research articles related to laser use in endodontic irrigation have covered topics such as bactericidal effect, smear layer removal, pushout bond strength, growth factor release, and apical extrusion of irrigant.