Evolving research on periodontal health of abutment teeth in removable partial dentures: A Scopus-based bibliometric analysis

Abstract

With partial edentulism prevalent among aging populations retaining natural teeth, understanding the relationship between removable partial dentures (RPDs) and abutment teeth periodontal health is crucial. To provide a bibliometric analysis of research trends on periodontal considerations of abutment teeth in RPDs, highlighting key publications, research clusters, and influential keywords from 1948 to 2024. An advanced search of Elsevier’s Scopus database was conducted, extracting data such as publication titles, years, citations, journals, countries, and keywords. Bibliometric analysis and network visualizations were generated using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer software. The annual growth rate of studies on periodontal consideration of abutment teeth in RPDs was 2.39%. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry had the most publications and citations, while the Journal of Periodontology held the highest average and normalized citations, signifying its impact. Highly cited articles were predominantly clinical studies. Coauthorship analysis showed that the United States, Japan, and Germany had the highest research output, while Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany led in average citations per document, highlighting Europe’s strong influence in this research area. The VOSviewer map identified nine distinct research clusters covering various aspects of prosthodontics, including material innovations, prosthetic design, patient quality of life, clinical assessments, complications, and advanced technologies. High-impact terms included “longitudinal study,” “crowns,” and “Periotest value” based on average citations, while “PEEK” leads in average normalized citations, indicating its growing influence. Periodontal considerations are central to research on abutment teeth in RPDs, highlighting the need for comprehensive, long-term evaluations of periodontal health and abutment tooth stability.

INTRODUCTION

The relationship between abutment teeth and removable partial dentures (RPDs) is a critical area of research in prosthodontics and periodontology, as the long-term success of RPDs heavily relies on the condition of the abutment teeth.[1] In clinical practice, abutment teeth serve as key support structures for RPDs, but their stability is often influenced by their periodontal health.[2,3] Compromised periodontal health can weaken the support provided by abutment teeth, increasing the risk of mechanical failure or further tooth loss. This highlighted the need for ongoing evaluation and monitoring of both abutment teeth and periodontal status in patients receiving RPDs, as their interaction directly impacts the overall success of the treatment.[4,5]

Recent studies have explored various aspects of the abutment-RPDs relationship, such as the effects of RPD wear on periodontal conditions,[3,6] the treatment outcomes and survival rates of abutment teeth,[7,8] and the need for innovative RPD designs and materials to minimize adverse impact on the abutment teeth.[1] It was suggested that while RPDs can be a viable treatment option for the partially edentulous patient, its long-term use can lead to unwanted consequences for the abutment teeth if not managed properly. Studies on abutment teeth in RPDs typically include an evaluation of periodontal health, as the condition of the periodontal tissues plays a crucial role in the stability and long-term success of the abutment teeth.[3,9,10] A more recent technique, finite element analysis (FEA), has been utilized to simulate the biomechanical behavior of abutment teeth in response to different RPD designs and materials.[11,12,13] Although FEA allows for quicker, cost-effective simulations, it lacks the real-world complexity of clinical studies, which remain the gold standard due to their ability to assess long-term outcomes in actual patients.

The need to better understand the complex relationship between abutment teeth and RPDs is further highlighted by the increasing prevalence of partial edentulism and the corresponding rise in RPD usage. As the population continues to age and more individuals retain their natural teeth later in life, the demand for RPD treatment will likely remain high. This emphasizes the importance of continued research on this topic using bibliometric analysis to identify key trends and knowledge gaps that can guide future investigation and clinical practice. Furthermore, such analysis can also identify influential publications and journals that contribute significantly to this topic.[14] The primary objective of this bibliometric review is to examine the overall landscape of periodontal conditions conducted on abutment teeth in RPDs studies, influential publications, research clusters, and high-impact keywords.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Search strategy

A search was performed on September 9, 2024, within the core collection of Elsevier’s Scopus database. The search query was structured as follows: TITLE-ABS-KEY (“removable partial denture*” OR “removable prosth*”) AND TITLE-ABS-KEY (“abutment t**th*” OR “periodont*”). Data extraction was conducted in a single day to ensure consistency and comparability across the set of articles and citation counts collected for the study. The search results were refined to include only articles and review articles within the field of dentistry published in English. Conference abstracts, nonresearch articles (such as editorials and communication letters), and non-English publications were excluded from the study.

Data management and data cleaning

The following bibliometric parameters of the included articles, citation information (such as author, document title, and year), bibliographical details (including affiliation and serial identifier), as well as abstracts, keywords, and other reference information, were automatically extracted from Elsevier’s Scopus database and exported in a CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited) file format. Duplicate entries were removed, and a manual review of article titles was conducted to verify the accuracy and relevance of the selected articles. For those with insufficient information in the title, the abstracts and full texts were reviewed to ensure their suitability for inclusion in the study. Articles that exclusively addressed fixed dental prostheses, dental implants, complete dentures, or RPDs, without reference to or comparison with abutment teeth or periodontal condition, were omitted from the study.

Data analysis

Descriptive statistics were used to describe the articles and the journals. The articles were analyzed, and information, including article topic, study design, publication year, authorship, contributing institutions and countries, citation counts, and keywords, was extracted. For the bibliometric analysis, Biblioshiny (University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Campania, Italy), a web-based application that is an extension of the R package Bibliometrix, was employed to manage and analyze citation data efficiently. It was primarily used for descriptive analysis, which provided an overview of the research output and its impact in the field, including publication counts, citation counts, and authorship details. In addition, VOS viewer (version 1.6.18, Leiden University, Netherlands) was utilized for network analysis, including the visualization and exploration of coauthorship of countries, cocitation of documents and journals, as well as keyword co-occurrence networks. This tool facilitated the identification of collaborative networks within the country, influential articles, and key research themes within the field. During the citation analysis, word derivatives were consolidated from thesaurus files. For instance, “removable partial dentures,” “partial denture,” and “rpd” were consolidated into “removable partial denture.”

RESULTS

The initial search identified 1270 articles. After applying refinement criteria, 772 articles met the criteria. Following data cleaning, 314 articles were excluded, resulting in 458 documents from 86 journals for analysis. Of these, 437 were original articles and 21 were review articles. The annual growth rate of studies on abutment teeth in RPDs is 2.39% from 1948 until 2024. The key information is summarized in Table 1.

Table 1.

Main information of studies on abutment teeth in removable partial dentures

Description	Results
Main information
Timespan	1948:2024
Sources (Journals, Books, etc.)	86
Documents	458
Annual growth rate (%)	2.39
Document average age	22.3
Average citations per doc	17.37
References	8300
Document contents
Keywords plus (ID)	1075
Author’s keywords (DE)	631
Authors
Authors	1255
Authors of single-authored docs	70
Authors collaboration
Single-authored docs	76
Coauthors per doc	3.65
International coauthorships (%)	11.57
Document types
Article	437
Review	21

Highly cited articles

With an average of 17.37 citations per document across 458 studies, Table 2 highlights the top 10 most cited articles on abutment teeth in RPDs, offering insights into their influence on dental research. Citation counts for these predominantly clinical studies range from 89 to 401. The most cited article (401 citations) is a clinical study on tooth loss in patients with periodontal disease, assessing periodontal pocket depth (PPD), mobility, furcation involvement, gingival levels, and mucogingival considerations.[15] Another notable study focuses on caries and periodontal findings in RPD patients, with 185 citations.[16] It evaluates periodontal variables such as the plaque index, the gingival index, pocket depth, and tooth mobility of abutment teeth, in addition to caries, restorations, and prosthetic factors. A review on RPD-induced changes has also been influential, receiving 154 citations.[17]

Table 2.

Ten most cited articles in studies on abutment teeth in removable partial dentures

Author, publication year, title, and journal	Type of study	Citations	Normalized citations
Mc Fall Jr and Walter.T. (1982). Tooth loss in 100 treated patients with periodontal disease: A Long-Term Study. Journal of Periodontology	Clinical study	401	6.01
Bergman et al. (1982). Caries, periodontal and prosthetic findings in patients with RPDs: A 10-year longitudinal study. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry	Clinical study	185	2.77
Kelly E (1972). Changes caused by a mandibular RPD opposing a maxillary complete denture. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry	Review	154	3.52
Preshaw et al. (2011). Association of RPD use with oral and systemic health. Journal of Dentistry	Review	127	5.85
Zlatarić et al. (2002). The effect of RPDs on periodontal health of abutment and nonabutment teeth. Journal of Periodontology	Clinical study	120	2.80
Wagner B and Kern M (2000). Clinical evaluation of RPDs 10 years after insertion: Success rates, hygienic problems, and technical failures. Clinical Oral Investigations	Clinical study	118	2.00
Wöstmann et al. (2007). Long-term analysis of telescopic crown retained RPDs: Survival and need for maintenance. Journal of Dentistry	Clinical study	105	2.60
Kratochvil FJ (1963). Influence of occlusal rest position and clasp design on movement of abutment teeth. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry	Review	96	1.00
Chandler JA and Brudvik JS (1984). Clinical evaluation of patients 8–9 years after placement of RPDs. Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry	Clinical study	94	5.30
Bergman et al. (1971). Periodontal and prosthetic conditions in patients treated with RPDs and artificial crowns: A longitudinal 2-year study. Acta Odontologica Scandinavica	Clinical study	93	2.33

RPD – Removable partial dentures

The articles titled “Clinical Evaluation of Patients Eight to Nine Years After Placement of Removable Partial Dentures”[18] and “Association of Removable Partial Denture Use with Oral and Systemic Health”[19] stand out for their high normalized citation scores (5.30 and 5.85, respectively), despite having only 94 and 127 citations. This indicates that these studies are cited more frequently than expected for an older publication, reflecting their ongoing impact and relevance. The former study further distinguishes abutment teeth into direct, indirect, and nonabutment and includes radiographic assessments of alveolar bone levels over time.

Journal of publications

The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry leads with the highest number of documents (114) and citations (2378), indicating its strong influence and long-standing presence in the field. The Journal of Periodontology emerges as the leader in both average citations (101.86) and average normalized citations (2.98), indicating that its publications are highly influential and widely cited in the scientific community, highlighting its crucial role in the research. The Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and Journal of Oral Rehabilitation have higher document counts but lower average citations, with a more moderate influence. Newer journals, such as Clinical Oral Investigations and Journal of Prosthodontic Research, show emerging relevance but have lower citation averages [Table 3].

Table 3.

The top ten leading journals of publication for studies on abutment teeth in removable partial dentures

Journal	Average publication year	Documents	Citations	AC	ANC
Journal of Periodontology	1988	7	713	101.86	2.98
Clinical Oral Investigations	2015	10	289	28.90	1.59
Journal of Dentistry	2006	18	519	28.83	1.71
Journal of Clinical Periodontology	2009	9	251	27.89	2.21
Journal of Oral Rehabilitation	2002	45	1165	25.89	1.32
Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry	1987	114	2378	20.86	1.13
International Journal of Prosthodontics	2012	22	401	18.23	1.06
International Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Implants	2014	8	127	15.88	1.35
Journal of Prosthodontics	2012	25	300	12.00	0.73
Journal of Prosthodontic Research	2018	18	152	8.44	0.97

AC – Average citation; ANC – Average normalized citation

Countries

Coauthorship analysis was conducted for countries with a minimum of 5 documents and at least 25 citations [Figure 1]. Of the 69 countries evaluated, only 21 met these criteria. Notably, the United States had the highest output with 122 documents and 2798 citations, followed by Japan with 59 documents and 1053 citations and Germany with 47 documents and 1149 citations. However, when considering average citations per document, Sweden led with an average citation of 51.28, followed by Switzerland at 29.44 and Germany at 24.45.

Figure 1.

The collaboration network for coauthorship analysis for countries based on average citation score, with Sweden, Switzerland, and Germany received among the highly cited scores (more than 24 citations)

Keyword occurrences

In VOSviewer, the clustering algorithm groups keywords based on their co-occurrence patterns, with those frequently appearing together forming clusters. Each cluster is color-coded to represent different thematic areas within the research field. Figure 2 illustrates the network visualization of keyword occurrences, categorized into nine distinct clusters from 48 items based on the authors’ keywords. The size of the nodes (representing keywords) and the density of connections between them indicate the importance of those keywords and the strength of their relationships, with larger nodes and stronger connections reflecting higher co-occurrence frequencies. This allows for a visual representation of key themes and their interconnectedness in the research landscape.

Figure 2.

Network visualization of keyword occurrences based on the authors’ keywords, displaying 48 items grouped into nine distinct clusters. Larger nodes and denser connections indicate higher co-occurrence frequencies, highlighting key themes and their relationships

Table 4 displays different clusters in studies of the periodontal condition of abutment teeth in RPD research. Cluster 1 appears to focus on prosthetic solutions for partial tooth loss and materials used in RPDs for elderly patients. In contrast, Cluster 2 revolves around dental abutments, prosthetic attachments, and their impact on patient quality of life. Cluster 3 focuses on advanced prosthetic treatment options and planning involving abutments and implants in RPDs. Cluster 4 emphasizes on complications and design considerations in RPDs. The theme for Cluster 5 revolves around longitudinal studies and factors affecting dental health in older adults when wearing RPDs. Cluster 6 focuses on material innovations and their impact on oral health-related quality of life. Cluster 7 is centered on technological and material advancements in prosthodontics, whereas Cluster 8 involves dental prosthetic design and assessment techniques. Cluster 9 revolves around analytical techniques and their application in improving the design and effectiveness of implant-supported RPDs.

Table 4.

Different clusters in studies on periodontal condition of abutment teeth in removable partial dentures research

Cluster 1	Cluster 2	Cluster 3
Cobalt-chromium Polyamide Fixed partial denture Partial edentulism prostheses RPD Shortened dental arches Elderly	Ball attachment Dental abutment Dental prostheses Fixed removable prosthodontics Quality of life Dental health surveys	Abutment Cast partial dentures Implant Overdenture Precision attachment Telescopic dentures Treatment planning
Cluster 4	Cluster 5	Cluster 6
Retrospective study Clasp RPD Double crowns Complications Removable dental prosthesis Telescopic crowns	Longitudinal study Abutment tooth Caries Periodontal diseases Risk factors Older adults	Nonmetal clasp denture PEEK Thermoplastic resin Oral health-related quality of life Removable prosthesis
Cluster 7	Cluster 8	Cluster 9
CAD/CAM Clasp Composite Crowns	Abutment tooth mobility Major connecter Periotest value	FEA Implant-assisted RPD

PEEK – Polyetheretherketone; CAD/CAM – Computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing; RPD – Removable partial dentures; FEA – Finite element analysis

High-impact keywords

The top ten recurring keywords, identified as high-impact based on their average citation and average normalized citation scores, are summarized in Table 5. The average citation is the total number of citations a paper receives divided by the number of papers, whereas the average normalized citation is the citation count of a paper adjusted for differences in citation practices across fields, years, and document types, allowing for fair comparisons. The terms “removable dental prosthesis” and “prosthesis” were omitted from the summary to avoid redundancy, as they are frequently encountered in research related to RPDs. In terms of average citation, “longitudinal study” is the most frequently cited (47.00), followed by “crowns” (40.33) and “Periotest value” (36.00), highlighting their significant impact in the field. In addition, based on average normalized citation, “PEEK” has the highest average normalized citation count (2.71), followed by “longitudinal study” suggesting that it is relatively influential across different contexts.

Table 5.

High-impact keywords ranked by average citation and average normalized citation

Keyword	Average publication year	AC	Keyword	Average publication year	ANC
Longitudinal study	2013	47.00	Peek	2020	2.71
crowns	1998	40.33	Longitudinal study	2013	2.22
Periotest value	2005	36.00	Oral health-related quality of life	2013	1.84
Treatment planning	2003	35.00	Treatment planning	2003	1.77
Caries	2000	30.66	Nonmetal clasp denture	2019	1.59
Quality of life	2015	28.08	Quality of life	2015	1.56
Retrospective study	2012	27.40	Complications	2016	1.40
Oral health-related quality of life	2013	24.60	Over denture	2014	1.37
Periodontal diseases	2011	24.31	Risk factors	2017	1.37
Telescopic crowns	2013	22.55	Implant	2013	1.35

AC – Average citation; ANC – Average normalized citation

DISCUSSION

This bibliometric analysis provides critical perspectives into the current state of research on the periodontal condition of abutment teeth in RPDs, significant publications, research clusters, and impactful keywords. This study assessed 458 articles on periodontal aspects of abutment teeth in RPDs, with a relatively lower annual growth rate of 2.39% compared to other research fields.[20,21] The lower growth rate in this area may reflect the specific focus on abutment teeth within RPDs, which is narrower compared to broader or more dynamic fields. In contrast, fields experiencing rapid technological advancements or significant clinical developments, such as digital dentistry, regenerative endodontics, or implantology, tend to show higher growth rates due to increased research activity and interest.[21,22,23] The low but steady growth in research on this topic highlighted the need for increased focus on long-term periodontal stability in abutment teeth, which are pivotal to RPD efficacy.

When examining the publication sources, the top contributing journals highlight the interdisciplinary nature of this field, with publications spanning both prosthodontic and periodontal domains. Overall, citation performance correlates with the age and focus of the journals, with older journals being well-established and newer ones gaining relevance. The Journal of Periodontology leads with the highest average citations, indicating its significant impact in the field, while the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation have contributed extensively over the years but exhibit moderate average citation impact. Newer journals, such as the Journal of Prosthodontic Research and Clinical Oral Investigations, are gaining prominence. However, their citation averages remain lower, likely due to the recency of their publications. The most cited studies are clinical studies investigating the long-term effects of RPDs on oral health, with a particular focus on tooth loss, periodontal health, and prosthetic outcomes.[10,16,18] These studies contribute significantly to our understanding of abutment tooth survival, periodontal health, and the broader implications of RPD use, offering valuable insights for dental practitioners in optimizing treatment strategies and improving long-term patient outcomes. The dominance of clinical studies reflects their practical relevance in dental practice, particularly concerning the impact of RPDs on abutment teeth. Periodontal assessments in these studies often involve key variables such as PPD, tooth mobility, the gingival index, and the plaque index, which are critical in evaluating the health of abutment teeth. Some studies further differentiate assessments between direct and indirect abutments, as well as nonabutment teeth, providing a comprehensive understanding of how RPDs affect different types of teeth. In addition, radiographic assessments to evaluate alveolar bone levels offer deeper insights into the long-term effects on the supporting structures.[10,18]

The coauthorship countries analysis shows that while the United States, Japan, and Germany lead in terms of the number of publications and total citations, countries like Sweden and Switzerland achieve higher average citations per document, indicating a stronger impact on a per-publication basis. This discrepancy may be due to differences in research focus, quality, publication practices, and available resources.[24,25] High citation averages in countries with fewer publications suggest that these countries produce highly influential studies, whereas countries with a larger volume of research may have a broader range of study impacts, affecting average citation counts. These findings highlight the diverse contributions and varying influences of different countries in the field of abutment teeth-RPD studies.

The cluster analysis reveals a closely interconnected research landscape in RPDs, where material innovations, prosthetic design, and clinical outcomes intersect. Clusters focused on materials like cobalt-chromium (Co-Cr) and thermoplastic resins (Clusters 1 and 6) relate to advancements in computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) technology (Cluster 7), which enhance prosthetic customization and patient comfort. Prosthetic attachments and designs (Clusters 2 and 3) play a crucial role in improving stability and quality of life, while complications in prostheses (Cluster 4) are linked to the long-term health of abutment teeth, particularly in older adults (Cluster 5). Assessment methods like Periotest (Cluster 8) and computational tools such as FEA (Cluster 9) help refine prosthetic designs and outcomes. Our cluster analysis reveals that those interdisciplinary approaches, such as CAD/CAM design, FEA, and advanced biomaterials, hold substantial promise in optimizing RPD fit and function, with a focus on abutment tooth stability. Integrating insights from these domains may help clinicians customize RPDs that exert minimal periodontal stress, ultimately reducing risks of mobility and tooth loss. This knowledge benefits the practical implementation of RPDs by emphasizing the need for improved diagnostic tools and actual simulations to predict and mitigate abutment risks. Furthermore, understanding the relationship between abutment tooth mobility and periodontal health is crucial for clinicians when planning and managing prosthetic treatments. This knowledge helps identify at-risk abutment teeth that may require additional support or alternative treatment strategies. The interconnected nature of the clusters highlights the field’s multidimensional approach to improving RPDs performance and patient quality of life, emphasizing the need for continued exploration of clinical and technological aspects in dental prosthesis, particularly concerning abutment teeth.[14,26]

The high citation counts for terms like “longitudinal study,” “crowns,” and “Periotest value” likely reflect their critical importance in dental research, particularly in understanding long-term outcomes and evaluating prosthetic solutions. Longitudinal studies are crucial for assessing the durability and effectiveness of treatments over time, hence their prominence in citations. Longitudinal studies reveal that RPDs can accelerate plaque accumulation and periodontal wear around abutments if not carefully maintained, highlighting the need for proactive periodontal monitoring and regular professional cleanings.[16,27] Similarly, Rissin et al. conducted a 6-year evaluation on the periodontal health of patients with removable and fixed partial dentures, highlighting the impact of these prostheses on periodontal parameters, such as gingival inflammation and bone loss.[28] These foundational studies have established a benchmark for understanding the relationship between RPD materials and periodontal health, guiding clinicians on the importance of maintaining oral hygiene and managing prosthetic treatment effectively. Studies on “crowns” and “retrospective” analyses of complications provide clinicians with empirical support for interventions, such as using adjunctive periodontal therapies and precise clasp design adjustments to enhance abutment longevity.

In addition, “PEEK,” the latest material used as RPDs framework, has the highest average normalized citation, highlighting its growing influence and importance in research on abutment teeth in RPDs. This aligns with findings from a previous study that identified polyetheretherketone (PEEK) as one of the top three high-impact terms in the RPDs.[29] The growing clinical interest in PEEK as an RPD framework material, highlighted by its increasing citations, represents a promising shift toward biocompatible, durable alternatives to traditional Co-Cr.[30,31] This shift could reduce the risk of periodontal inflammation and improve patient comfort, aligning with clinical goals to extend RPD life spans and reduce abutment tooth stress. Future clinical trials comparing PEEK with conventional metals should address the periodontal responses of abutment teeth over extended periods, ultimately refining material selection in clinical prosthodontics. Currently, only one study has investigated the performance differences between PEEK and Co-Cr RPDs over a one-year period, focusing on the periodontal indices of abutment teeth. This study found that PEEK RPDs have similar effects on periodontal outcomes compared to Co-Cr RPDs.[26] However, the recall period was relatively short at just 1 year, especially when compared to the 8–10-year review periods used in previous studies,[16,18,32] which offer more comprehensive insights into long-term performance.

Our findings point to several practice-oriented recommendations. Clinicians should prioritize regular periodontal assessments of RPD abutment teeth, given the observed increase in RPD-associated periodontal risks. Routine periodontal evaluations, including probing pocket depth measurements, clinical attachment level assessments, and radiographic monitoring, are essential for early detection and management of periodontal changes. Proactive intervention, including personalized oral hygiene instructions and periodic professional maintenance, can help preserve the health and function of abutment teeth, ultimately contributing to the success and longevity of the RPD. Furthermore, materials such as PEEK and innovations in CAD/CAM allow for more precise prosthetic designs, which enhance long-term abutment performance. PEEK offers promising biomechanical properties that can result in more favorable stress distribution on abutment teeth and surrounding periodontal structures, potentially reducing the risk of trauma or overload. Similarly, the integration of CAD/CAM technology facilitates highly precise, patient-specific framework fabrication, leading to better fit, reduced plaque retention, and improved comfort. These advancements not only contribute to the preservation of abutment tooth integrity but also enhance prosthesis longevity and esthetic outcomes. As a result, patients may experience greater satisfaction and improved quality of life, while the need for corrective interventions or early replacement of prostheses may be minimized.[26]

Limitations of the study

One of the main limitations of bibliometric studies is their reliance on the completeness and accuracy of the databases used for analysis. While the Scopus database is comprehensive, it may not capture all relevant publications. In addition, the search strategy employed in this study, focusing on the specific keywords “abutment teeth” and “removable partial dentures,” may have excluded some relevant studies that did not use these exact terms. In addition, citation counts, although commonly used as a proxy for impact, do not necessarily reflect the true scientific or clinical significance of a publication. Factors such as self-citation, publication bias, and citation cartels can skew citation metrics, potentially misrepresenting the actual influence of certain studies.[33]

CONCLUSION

Periodontal considerations are a critical focus in studies on abutment teeth in RPDs, emphasizing the need for thorough long-term assessments of periodontal health and abutment tooth stability. The annual growth rate of studies on abutment teeth in RPDs is 2.39%, with the most cited articles being clinical studies. Among journals, the Journal of Prosthetic Dentistry and the Journal of Periodontology stand out for their influence and citation impact. Geographically, the United States contributes the highest research output, followed by Japan and Germany, while countries like Sweden and Switzerland demonstrate strong citation performance per publication. The research clusters surrounding the periodontal aspects of abutment teeth and RPDs encompass various facets of prosthodontics, including material innovations, prosthetic design, patient quality of life, clinical assessments, complications, and the application of advanced technologies such as CAD/CAM and FEA. A key impactful keyword is “longitudinal studies,” while the exploration of “PEEK” highlights its growing significance in research related to abutment teeth in RPDs, particularly concerning its potential benefits for maintaining periodontal health. This study serves as a foundation for clinical advancements by identifying high-impact research areas that can directly influence prosthodontic practices and improve patient outcomes in RPD treatment. By addressing the clinical relevance of material and technological innovations, practitioners are better equipped to meet the growing demands of an aging patient population, ultimately enhancing both the lifespan and effectiveness of RPDs.

Conflicts of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Funding Statement

The study was funded by the Geran Penyelidikan Bagi Geran Penyelidikan Myra (GPM) (Ref: 600-RMC 5/3/GPM (026/2023).