Call to Action From ‘A Global Bibliometric Analysis on the Relationship Between Tinnitus and Temporomandibular Disorders’

The recent bibliometric analysis by Prado et al. [1] on the relationship between tinnitus and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) raises an important contribution to the field and for researchers within this trending area. Several recurring themes were identified, including associations between tinnitus and TMD, diagnostic approaches, and treatment modalities. A comprehensive data collection, well-rounded analytic approach and a global perspective can be pointed out as strengths of the study. However, authors fail to address a more detailed description of the state of the art considering the high number of included articles reported (n = 117) and the importance of other professionals that play crucial part in research and clinical settings. Therefore, the purpose of this letter is to request additional data for clarifications and guidance.

While valuable, bibliometric analysis primarily emphasises quantitative data and may miss deep qualitative insights of the findings and their clinical implications. As stated by the authors, heterogeneity of the studies' design, population and methods for diagnosis and evaluation hinders a clear recommendation for future studies. Therefore, a bibliometric analysis helps to overcome such barriers through a quantitative review of the literature, which was methodologically well done by the authors. Nonetheless, the descriptive results presented in Table 1 summarises the studies' general characteristics, with a high number of observational studies, raising the first motive for this letter: (a) What are the questions and aims from those studies? (b) What aspects of TMD and tinnitus were assessed and which outcomes (e.g., function, disability, quality of life and biomechanics)? (c) What are the population characteristics? The main concern here is that the study lacks to report as a supplementary data, the full list of included studies (e.g., titles, aims, population and county of study).

Second, a bibliometric analysis should include a citation and journal appraisal. This means that researchers can be aware of the quality of the evidence in which the assumptions were based on. The most published journals were mentioned by the authors, with no mention of the most cited papers. By analysing how often and where a work is cited allow researchers to gauge the importance within the academic community. In addition, evaluating journals based on citation metrics can help identify the most influential journals in this field. Moreover, citation patterns and journal publications help researchers to detect emerging trends over time, highlighting particular areas of growing interest within TMD and tinnitus.

Most studies, as expected, were published in the dentistry and medicine field. Fifteen studies were published in other areas. TMD and cervical spine problems are the two most typical musculoskeletal conditions related to tinnitus [2]. A recent systematic review highlights the importance and emerging interest of physiotherapists and audiologists in this field [2]. Complex conditions such as TMD and tinnitus requires a multidisciplinary team [3]. Hence, explicit the ‘other’ areas mentioned in Table 1 would also help to guide future research for the other professionals, as I agree when the authors say that ‘…collaboration among dentists, medical professionals and health professionals is advocated for planning study designs and methodologies in the field’.

Moreover, the global distribution of results shown in fig. 2 highlights the widespread recognition of the clinical relevance of the relationship between tinnitus and TMD. As stated by the authors, observational studies were the most used design and future evidence should consider interventional studies. A clear description of the existing evidence can help researchers to enhance the quality of the next studies. Despite the authors' mention, the researchers with most publications in the field, a full list would also enable tracking groups of studies and enhance future collaborations. In addition, Brazil was the country with the highest number of published studies. The most recent Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate) reports that Brazil is the fourth leading country by contributions to the Journal of Oral Rehabilitation [4] (i.e., many clinicians and researchers working with TMD and tinnitus access the JOR and would benefit from a complete result).

To conclude this letter, I would like to emphasise the importance of providing comprehensive supplementary data and a more detailed analysis of citation patterns. Such information is crucial for guiding future research and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration among professionals. By addressing these gaps, Prado et al. can significantly enhance the utility of their work for researchers and clinicians dedicated to understanding and managing the complex interplay between tinnitus and TMD. Thank you for considering these suggestions, and I look forward to seeing future enhancements in this promising area of research.

The author declares no conflicts of interest.