A 10-year Scientometric Analysis of the Characteristics of the Worldwide Publication on the Toxic Effects of Fluoride

Abstract

To perform a 10-year scientometric analysis of the characteristics of the worldwide publication on the toxic effects of fluoride. A bibliometric study of the worldwide scientific production on the toxic effects of fluoride during the years 2011-2020 was performed. All metadata from the Scopus database were evaluated. These were then exported to SciVal (Elsevier) for analysis of quantity, collaboration, and impact indicators. We found that the "Biological Trace Element Research" was the most productive journal with 22 published manuscripts and that the most productive universities on the systemic toxic effects of fluoride on the body were Shanxi Agricultural University, Guizhou Medical University, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology with 31, 11, and 10 manuscripts, respectively. In addition, it was found that most of the world scientific production on the toxic effects of fluoride was published in Q1 level journals (top 25%). Finally, it was concluded that most of the total production on this topic was published in high-impact Q1 journals, with China being the leading country in terms of number and impact of publications. Finally, there was evidence of collaboration between the United States, China, and India, being the countries that led in co-authorship by country. This research is of clinical importance as it allows the identification of the most productive institutions, authors, and countries in this field. In this way, strategic alliances can be established to enhance the development of research.