This study assessed the demographic characteristics of the periodontal workforce in Saudi Arabia. This was a retrospective study of periodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia from January 2000 through May 2023. The data were requested from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties and included the number of periodontists and dentists, the number of Saudi and non-Saudi periodontists, the sex distribution of periodontists, their ranking, and the geographic distribution across the 13 regions. This study identified 700 practicing periodontists, representing 2.2 periodontists per 100,000 people. Consultant periodontists composed 31% of the population, mostly Saudi nationals. Approximately 53% of practicing periodontists resided in Saudi Arabia, mostly in the Riyadh, Makkah, and Eastern Provinces. Al Bahah, Najran, and the Northern Borders had fewer periodontists. This study provides valuable insights into shaping the periodontal workforce in Saudi Arabia. Future studies on the factors related to the periodontology workforce can assist policymakers in implementing effective strategies to significantly improve the current workforce.

Aim: The aim of this study was to identify and appraise the bibliometric properties of top 100 most-cited articles on regenerative periodontics surgery (RPS). Materials and Methods: The bibliometric research technique was conducted using a dataset comprising the 100 highly cited articles obtained from Elsevier’s Scopus database on RPS. Information regarding the growth of articles by year, number of citations, citations per year, study design, study field, modalities, journals, authors, and countries were extracted for each article. Microsoft Excel (v.16) was utilized for data evaluation and tabulation. These articles on RPS were published over a span of 45 years, from 1975 to 2019, with citation metrics ranging from 144 to 820. Out of the 422 participating authors, 82% contributed to a single article. Results: The 100 most cited articles on RPS were published in 45 years from 1975 to 2019 and number of citations ranged from 144 to 820. Out of the 422 participating authors, 82% contributed in a single article.. The study design with the highest number of cited articles was laboratory/animal studies. Others/not specified was the preferred modality, followed by infrabony modality. The Journal of Periodontology published about one-fourth of the articles, with W. V. Giannobile emerging as the most productive author. Among the 100 most-cited articles on RPS, authors from 25 different countries contributed, with the United States producing half of the articles (n = 51). Bibliometric investigation revealed that the most cited papers published before 2000 had higher citation counts due to their longer period of exposure. The ratio of authors per article increased after the year 2000. Conclusions: Infrabony emerges as a trending topic in RPS, with laboratory/animal studies, clinical trials, and literature reviews being the most frequently employed study designs.

Endodontists play a vital role in preserving natural dentition through specialized care. Despite significant growth in the dental workforce in Saudi Arabia, there is limited data on the demographic trends, professional ranks, and regional distribution of endodontists. This study aims to analyze the endodontic workforce in Saudi Arabia, focusing on workforce growth, gender and nationality distribution, professional rankings, and regional variations in training programs and the number of practicing endodontists. A retrospective analytical study was conducted using data from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS). All registered endodontists practicing in Saudi Arabia up to December 2024 were included. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze workforce trends, professional ranks, and trainee distribution. The endodontist-to-population ratio was calculated based on Saudi Arabia's 2023 population. A total of 1,336 endodontists were identified, with 61.45% being Saudi nationals. Male practitioners comprised 61.45% of the workforce. Consultants accounted for 33.16% of all endodontists, with Saudi nationals dominating higher professional ranks. Significant regional disparities were observed in the distribution of endodontists and trainees, with Riyadh and Makkah hosting the majority of both groups. The endodontist-to-population ratio reached 4.1 per 100,000 people. This study reveals substantial growth in Saudi Arabia's endodontic workforce, with notable regional disparities in trainee distribution. Future studies should focus on addressing these disparities and assisting policymakers in achieving balanced workforce development. Moreover, future research could explore the impact of these regional disparities on patient care outcomes, including accessibility, quality of care, and treatment success rates in underserved areas.

Dentistry is essential for oral health, focusing on the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of oral diseases. In recent decades, Saudi Arabia has expanded its dental education system, adding new dental schools and postgraduate programs to meet the growing demand for professionals. This study provided a detailed analysis of the trends and demographic characteristics of dental postgraduate programs in Saudi Arabia between 2013 and 2023. This retrospective study collected data on dental postgraduate programs from the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) for the period from January 2013 to December 2023. Data were gathered on program types, gender, nationality, and geographic distribution. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze trends and distributions. Key variables included the number of postgraduate dental specialty programs, enrolled students, and training levels (board, fellowship). Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval was obtained, and the data was processed using Microsoft Excel 2016. The study revealed a total of 1,520 dental postgraduates, with a near-equal gender distribution (51.4% males and 48.6% females). Saudi nationals represented 94.8% of board residency graduates, while 2.4% were non-Saudis. Riyadh had the highest concentration of postgraduates, followed by Makkah. A significant increase in postgraduate enrollment was observed, peaking at 398 in 2023. The findings indicate significant growth in Saudi dental postgraduate programs, with regional disparities and increasing numbers of graduates. However, this growth raises concerns about potential unemployment among dental postgraduates, as the number of available positions may not match the surge in graduates. Policymakers must evaluate the expanding programs and their potential impact on the Saudi dental workforce.

Objective To identify complex multimorbid conditions, including chronic conditions, functional limitations and geriatric syndromes, associated with the presence and severity of periodontal disease (PD), after accounting for a series of demographic and behavioural characteristics. Design This cross-sectional study used secondary data from a nationally representative sample, classification and regression tree analysis and random forest identified combinations of specific conditions constituting complex multimorbidity associated with the presence and severity of PD. Setting US National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (2013–2014). Participants Individuals 60 years of age or older who completed a periodontal examination. Results Among 937 participants aged 60 and over, the prevalence of PD was 72.6%. PD was associated with sociodemographic factors and limitations in instrumental activities of daily living. Male sex and non-white race were the two most critical predictors of stage III/IV PD. Other important factors included age, education level and the federal poverty level. Conclusions Rather than chronic conditions or geriatric syndromes, PD was associated with sociodemographic factors and functional limitations. Accounting for the co-occurrence of sociodemographic and functional limitations will help recognise older adults who are at an increased vulnerability to the severity of PD.

Aim: To perform a comprehensive bibliometric analysis encompassing all articles published on periodontics from Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: Using the Scopus database on June 8, 2023, the search term “Periodontic*” was entered in the primary search bar to extract all documents published on periodontics. Following, the year filter was applied to include articles published from the earliest available date until the date of data collection, excluding 2023. Next, we used the country/region filter to limit our documents to Saudi Arabia (n = 1929). We used Microsoft Excel (v.16) to examine periodical growth, collaboration patterns, influential institutions, frequently used sources, international research collaboration, and most-cited papers. Results: Saudi Arabia ranked 11th in periodontics research, contributing 3.43% to the global research output, reaching a peak of 7.63% in 2022. Notably, there was significant growth observed during the last 5 years of the study, with an average of 232.8 documents per year. The analysis of citations revealed that the selected documents received an average of 13.39 citations per document. Indigenous literature received less citation on average compared to internationally collaborated documents. King Saud University ranked first among the most productive institutions in Saudi Arabia, accounting 40.74% of the total output. The Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice published the highest number of documents, followed by the Saudi Dental Journal and the Journal of Periodontology. In terms of citation impact, the Journal of Periodontology emerged as the most influential, with an average of 32.83 citations per document. Research collaboration was most prevalent with researchers from the United States (22.03%), although Germany ranked first in terms of citation impact. Conclusion: Saudi Arabia’s contribution to periodontics research has shown significant growth in recent years. The collaborative efforts with international researchers, particularly those from the United States, have played a crucial role in fostering advancements within the field.