Application of omics technologies in cariology research: A critical review with bibliometric analysis

To review the application of omics technologies in the field of Cariology research and provide critical insights into the emerging opportunities and challenges. Publications on the application of omics technologies in Cariology research up to December 2022 were sourced from online databases, including PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus. Two independent reviewers assessed the relevance of the publications to the objective of this review. Studies that employed omics technologies to investigate dental caries were selected from the initial pool of identified publications. A total of 922 publications with one or more omics technologies adopted were included for comprehensive bibliographic analysis. (Meta)genomics (676/922, 73%) is the predominant omics technology applied for Cariology research in the included studies. Other applied omics technologies are metabolomics (108/922, 12%), proteomics (105/922, 11%), and transcriptomics (76/922, 8%). This study identified an emerging trend in the application of multiple omics technologies in Cariology research. Omics technologies possess significant potential in developing strategies for the detection, staging evaluation, risk assessment, prevention, and management of dental caries. Despite the numerous challenges that lie ahead, the integration of multi-omics data obtained from individual biological samples, in conjunction with artificial intelligence technology, may offer potential avenues for further exploration in caries research. This review presented a comprehensive overview of the application of omics technologies in Cariology research and discussed the advantages and challenges of using these methods to detect, assess, predict, prevent, and treat dental caries. It contributes to steering research for improved understanding of dental caries and advancing clinical translation of Cariology research outcomes.