Аңдатпа
A BSTRACT Introduction: Rubber dam isolation is regarded as the gold standard for enhancing infection control, procedural efficiency, and patient safety in dentistry. However, despite its well-documented clinical advantages, adoption rates remain inconsistent across educational and clinical settings. This study aimed to conduct a bibliometric analysis of global research trends related to rubber dam usage in dental education and practice, focusing on publication outputs, thematic evolutions, influential contributors, and collaboration networks. Methods: A comprehensive search was performed in April 2025 across Web of Science and Scopus databases, identifying English-language articles and reviews without date restrictions. After duplicate and irrelevant records were excluded, 78 relevant publications were analyzed. Bibliometric mapping and keyword network analyses were conducted using Biblioshiny and VOSviewer. Results: The number of publications increased significantly after 2010, peaking in 2021. Despite this growth, international collaborations accounted for only 6.41% of studies. Thematic analysis showed an evolution from technical aspects toward educational, behavioral, and psychosocial themes. Highly cited studies highlighted persistent gaps between clinical guidelines and practice, as well as the critical influence of undergraduate education on rubber dam adoption. Institutional and authorial collaborations remained regionally concentrated, with limited global integration. Conclusions: While academic attention toward rubber dam usage in dental education is growing, real-world clinical implementation still faces notable barriers. Strengthened undergraduate training, expanded international research collaborations, and more patient-centered and longitudinal studies are needed to support broader and more consistent use of rubber dams in clinical practice.