Landscape of Tooth Regeneration Research: A Dual-Database Bibliometric Analysis

Tooth regeneration is an exciting frontier in regenerative medicine, yet comprehensive cross-disciplinary analysis of its research landscape remains limited. This study presents the bibliometric analysis, integrating data from Web of Science (WOS) and Scopus, to quantify publication dynamics, journal influence, thematic structure, and translational priorities. Following PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a comprehensive search using keywords related to tooth regeneration, dental tissue engineering, and regenerative dentistry. After systematic screening and quality assessment, 925 articles were analyzed using descriptive statistics to identify publication trends, the most active and cited journals, and VOSviewer co-occurrence analysis to visualize the thematic mapping. The analysis revealed robust field growth. Among the 395 journals that published articles, the top 10 contributed 20% of publications, with the Journal of Dental Research (n = 35) and the Journal of Endodontics (n = 31) leading in productivity. The journals Scientific Reports and Biomaterials achieved the highest Eigenfactor score, while the Science Translational Medicine demonstrated the greatest journal prestige (SJR = 6.722). Co-occurrence analysis identified 384 unique keywords, revealing the presence of four research clusters: Biomaterials and Advanced Scaffold Design; Cellular and Experimental Foundations; Clinical Endodontics and Periodontal Regeneration; Developmental Biology and Tooth Morphogenesis. Stem cell dynamics emphasizes three groups of stem cells: dental-derived cells, specialized cell types and non-dental derived cells. Our bibliometric analysis provides a comprehensive review of the tooth regeneration landscape. Thematic synthesis of stem cells led to an understanding of the field's current limitations, challenges, and cutting-edge trends. This manuscript represents the first dual-database bibliometric and visualization-driven analysis of tooth regeneration research. It quantifies global publication dynamics, highlights the pivotal contributions of leading journals, and delineates four critical thematic clusters: Biomaterials and Advanced Scaffold Design, Cellular and Experimental Foundations, Clinical Endodontics and Periodontal Regeneration, and Developmental Biology and Tooth Morphogenesis. By systematically mapping stem cell applications into dental-derived, specialized, and non-dental populations, this study provides a novel cellular framework for evaluating translational readiness. Furthermore, it underscores emerging frontiers such as 3D bioprinting, bioactive scaffolds, exosome-based therapies, and genetic modulation, while identifying persistent challenges in vascularization, innervation, enamel regeneration, and clinical scalability. Collectively, this analysis offers clinicians, researchers, and policymakers a strategic roadmap for advancing functional tooth regeneration from laboratory innovation to clinical application.