10 dentistry researchers with institutional affiliations in Hispanic America: Stanford/Elsevier 2026

On October 7, 2026, a new update of the Stanford/Elsevier database was released, identifying researchers worldwide based on standardized indicators of citation impact. The database provides two complementary assessments: one covering cumulative citation impact throughout a researcher’s career and another focusing on citations received during 2025.

In this article, I examine the dentistry researchers affiliated with institutions in Hispanic America who appear in the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier database.

How were the researchers selected?

I focused exclusively on the dataset assessing citation impact during 2025. Of the 249,310 researchers included in this dataset, 2,128 were primarily classified under Dentistry, according to the Science-Metrix system of scientific fields and subfields.

I then identified researchers whose country codes corresponded to Spanish-speaking Latin America.

This initial screening yielded 15 researchers. However, the country assigned in the database did not always match the country most frequently represented in their publication affiliations.

To address this discrepancy, I applied an additional criterion based on the variable top_cntry_career, which identifies the predominant country associated with a researcher’s publication affiliations throughout their career. Five researchers were subsequently excluded because their predominant affiliation countries were the United States, Germany, or the United Kingdom, even though their country codes were associated with Mexico, Uruguay, or Puerto Rico.

Although Brazil was not included in this analysis, it is worth noting that 116 researchers were primarily classified under Dentistry and had predominantly Brazilian institutional affiliations. This represents 5.45% of all researchers classified in the Dentistry subfield.

The final selection comprised 10 researchers: six associated with Chile, two with Mexico, and two with Colombia. These researchers represent approximately 0.47% of the 2,128 researchers primarily classified under Dentistry in the annual dataset.

Below, I present the researchers in reverse order, from 10th to 1st place, according to their position in the global ranking based on the c-score excluding self-citations.

For each researcher, I summarize their institutional affiliation, main research interests, and three publications that received the most citations during 2025.

The overall citation counts were obtained from the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier database, whereas citation counts for individual publications were retrieved through subsequent searches in Scopus. Both sets of figures refer to citations received during 2025, excluding self-citations from all authors.

10th place: Marcela Hernández Ríos (University of Chile, Chile)

Marcela Hernández Ríos is a full professor in the Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile. Her publications received 444 citations in 2025. Her most productive year was 2021, with 15 documents indexed in Scopus.

Her research focuses on periodontal biology, particularly the inflammatory and immunological mechanisms underlying periodontitis, its associations with systemic diseases, and the development of new therapeutic approaches.

Her three most-cited publications in 2025 were literature reviews examining different aspects of periodontal disease. The first discussed host immune responses in periodontal diseases. The second explored matrix metalloproteinases, particularly MMP-8, as potential biomarkers for diagnosing and monitoring periodontitis. The third examined inflammatory mechanisms that may link periodontitis to gestational diabetes mellitus.

1. 39 citations: Silva N, Abusleme L, Bravo D, Dutzan N, Garcia-Sesnich J, Vernal R, Hernández M, Gamonal J. Host response mechanisms in periodontal diseases. J Appl Oral Sci. 2015 May-Jun;23(3):329-55. Read the article.
2. 21 citations: Sorsa T, Gursoy UK, Nwhator S, Hernandez M, Tervahartiala T, Leppilahti J, Gursoy M, Könönen E, Emingil G, Pussinen PJ, Mäntylä P. Analysis of matrix metalloproteinases, especially MMP-8, in gingival crevicular fluid, mouthrinse and saliva for monitoring periodontal diseases. Periodontol 2000. 2016 Feb;70(1):142-63. Read the article.
3. 15 citations: Bendek MJ, Canedo-Marroquín G, Realini O, Retamal IN, Hernández M, Hoare A, Busso D, Monteiro LJ, Illanes SE, Chaparro A. Periodontitis and Gestational Diabetes Mellitus: A Potential Inflammatory Vicious Cycle. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Oct 31;22(21):11831. Read the article.

9th place: Carol Cristina Guarnizo-Herreño (National University of Colombia, Colombia)

Carol Cristina Guarnizo-Herreño is a professor and researcher in the Department of Collective Health at the Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Colombia. Her publications received 937 citations in 2025. According to Scopus data retrieved in October 2026, she had already published 13 documents that year, making 2026 her most productive year to date.

Her research primarily addresses oral public health, with particular emphasis on social inequalities, the political determinants of oral health, and access to dental care.

Her three most-cited publications in 2025 included two reviews published in The Lancet and a commentary on oral health inequalities. The first two examined the global burden of oral diseases, their social and commercial determinants, and the need for substantial changes in public health policy to improve population oral health. The third explored theoretical frameworks for understanding oral health inequalities and proposed priorities for future research and action.

1. 643 citations: Peres MA, Macpherson LMD, Weyant RJ, Daly B, Venturelli R, Mathur MR, Listl S, Celeste RK, Guarnizo-Herreño CC, Kearns C, Benzian H, Allison P, Watt RG. Oral diseases: a global public health challenge. Lancet. 2019 Jul 20;394(10194):249-260. Read the article.
2. 124 citations: Watt RG, Daly B, Allison P, Macpherson LMD, Venturelli R, Listl S, Weyant RJ, Mathur MR, Guarnizo-Herreño CC, Celeste RK, Peres MA, Kearns C, Benzian H. Ending the neglect of global oral health: time for radical action. Lancet. 2019 Jul 20;394(10194):261-272. Read the article.
3. 19 citations: Tsakos G, Watt RG, Guarnizo-Herreño CC. Reflections on oral health inequalities: Theories, pathways and next steps for research priorities. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2023 Feb;51(1):17-27. Read the article.

8th place: Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís (Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico)

Carlo Eduardo Medina-Solís is a professor and researcher in the Academic Area of Dentistry at the Institute of Health Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo. His publications received 4,868 citations in 2025. His most productive year was 2023, with 15 documents indexed in Scopus.

His main research interests lie in oral health epidemiology, particularly dental caries, dental fluorosis, periodontal diseases, health inequalities, and dental service utilization.

Interestingly, his three most-cited publications in 2025 were not specifically focused on dentistry. Instead, they were large international epidemiological studies conducted through the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) collaboration and published in The Lancet.

These studies, involving extensive international research teams, addressed the global burden of diseases and injuries, demographic trends, and the health consequences of tobacco use.

This case illustrates how participation in large international research collaborations can generate substantial citation counts, even when the most frequently cited publications fall outside a researcher’s primary field.

1. 3,611 citations: GBD 2019 Diseases and Injuries Collaborators. Global burden of 369 diseases and injuries in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020 Oct 17;396(10258):1204-1222. Read the article.
2. 379 citations: GBD 2019 Demographics Collaborators. Global age-sex-specific fertility, mortality, healthy life expectancy (HALE), and population estimates in 204 countries and territories, 1950-2019: a comprehensive demographic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2020 Oct 17;396(10258):1160-1203. Read the article.
3. 369 citations: GBD 2019 Tobacco Collaborators. Spatial, temporal, and demographic patterns in prevalence of smoking tobacco use and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019: a systematic analysis from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Lancet. 2021 Jun 19;397(10292):2337-2360. Read the article.

7th place: Carlos E. Zaror Sánchez (University of La Frontera, Chile)

Carlos E. Zaror Sánchez is an associate professor in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of La Frontera. His publications received 312 citations in 2025. His most productive year was 2022, with 15 documents indexed in Scopus.

His main research interests include pediatric dentistry, early childhood caries, oral health-related quality of life, systematic reviews, and economic evaluations of healthcare interventions.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 comprised two systematic reviews and one scoping review. The first assessed the impact of early childhood caries on the quality of life of children and their families. The second, conducted outside dentistry, examined the measurement properties of the Constant–Murley Score, an instrument used to assess shoulder function in patients with different disorders. The third reviewed the antimicrobial activity of selenium nanoparticles against potentially pathogenic oral microorganisms.

1. 36 citations: Zaror C, Matamala-Santander A, Ferrer M, Rivera-Mendoza F, Espinoza-Espinoza G, Martínez-Zapata MJ. Impact of early childhood caries on oral health-related quality of life: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dent Hyg. 2022 Feb;20(1):120-135. Read the article.
2. 34 citations: Vrotsou K, Ávila M, Machón M, Mateo-Abad M, Pardo Y, Garin O, Zaror C, González N, Escobar A, Cuéllar R. Constant-Murley Score: systematic review and standardized evaluation in different shoulder pathologies. Qual Life Res. 2018 Sep;27(9):2217-2226. Read the article.
3. 26 citations: Sans-Serramitjana E, Obreque M, Muñoz F, Zaror C, Mora ML, Viñas M, Betancourt P. Antimicrobial Activity of Selenium Nanoparticles (SeNPs) against Potentially Pathogenic Oral Microorganisms: A Scoping Review. Pharmaceutics. 2023 Aug 31;15(9):2253. Read the article.

6th place: Loreto Abusleme Ramos (University of Chile, Chile)

Loreto Abusleme Ramos is an associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Chile, where she leads the Oral Microbiology and Immunology Laboratory. Her publications received 506 citations in 2025. Her most productive years were 2015 and 2021, with four documents indexed in Scopus in each year.

Her research focuses on oral microbiology and immunology, particularly the oral microbiome, its interactions with the host immune system, and its role in the development of periodontal diseases.

Her three most-cited publications in 2025 included two original research studies and one literature review. The first investigated differences in subgingival microbial communities between periodontally healthy individuals and patients with periodontitis, including their associations with inflammation. The second reviewed and reanalyzed evidence on microbial communities associated with periodontal health, gingivitis, and periodontitis. The third investigated potential mechanisms through which Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, a bacterium associated with periodontitis, may contribute to autoimmune responses involved in rheumatoid arthritis.

1. 87 citations: Abusleme L, Dupuy AK, Dutzan N, Silva N, Burleson JA, Strausbaugh LD, Gamonal J, Diaz PI. The subgingival microbiome in health and periodontitis and its relationship with community biomass and inflammation. ISME J. 2013 May;7(5):1016-25. Read the article.
2. 72 citations: Abusleme L, Hoare A, Hong BY, Diaz PI. Microbial signatures of health, gingivitis, and periodontitis. Periodontol 2000. 2021 Jun;86(1):57-78. Read the article.
3. 54 citations: Konig MF, Abusleme L, Reinholdt J, Palmer RJ, Teles RP, Sampson K, Rosen A, Nigrovic PA, Sokolove J, Giles JT, Moutsopoulos NM, Andrade F. Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans-induced hypercitrullination links periodontal infection to autoimmunity in rheumatoid arthritis. Sci Transl Med. 2016 Dec 14;8(369):369ra176. Read the article.

5th place: Carlos Enrique Cuevas-Suárez (Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo, Mexico)

Carlos Enrique Cuevas-Suárez is a professor and researcher in the Academic Area of Dentistry at the Institute of Health Sciences, Autonomous University of the State of Hidalgo. His publications received 547 citations in 2025. His most productive year was 2022, with 22 documents indexed in Scopus.

His research focuses on dental materials, particularly polymer chemistry, the development of novel monomers for resin composites, and the characterization of their chemical and mechanical properties.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 consisted of two systematic reviews with meta-analyses and one narrative review. These studies addressed the bonding performance of universal adhesives, bond strength to dental tissues, and the main components and clinical applications of dental adhesive systems.

1. 45 citations: Cuevas-Suárez CE, da Rosa WLO, Lund RG, da Silva AF, Piva E. Bonding Performance of Universal Adhesives: An Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Adhes Dent. 2019;21(1):7-26. Read the article.
2. 33 citations: Bourgi R, Kharouf N, Cuevas-Suárez CE, Lukomska-Szymanska M, Haikel Y, Hardan L. A Literature Review of Adhesive Systems in Dentistry: Key Components and Their Clinical Applications. Appl Sci. 2024;14(18):8111. Read the article.
3. 31 citations: Hardan L, Bourgi R, Kharouf N, Mancino D, Zarow M, Jakubowicz N, Haikel Y, Cuevas-Suárez CE. Bond Strength of Universal Adhesives to Dentin: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Polymers (Basel). 2021 Mar 7;13(5):814. Read the article.

4th place: Carlos Martín Ardila Medina (University of Antioquia, Colombia)

Carlos Martín Ardila Medina is a professor and researcher in the Department of Basic Sciences at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Antioquia, and is affiliated with the Biomedical Stomatology Research Group. His publications received 281 citations in 2025. That same year was also his most productive, with 83 documents indexed in Scopus.

His main research interests include periodontology, periodontal therapy, the microbiology of periodontal diseases, and clinical epidemiology, with particular emphasis on antimicrobial resistance.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 comprised two scoping reviews and one original research study, all addressing antibiotic resistance in periodontal or peri-implant infections. The first synthesized evidence from randomized clinical trials concerning antimicrobial resistance in patients with periodontitis. The second reviewed bacterial resistance patterns in patients with peri-implantitis. The third investigated the susceptibility of subgingival microorganisms to antibiotics commonly used in periodontal treatment.

1. 18 citations: Ardila CM, Bedoya-García JA, Arrubla-Escobar DE. Antibiotic resistance in periodontitis patients: A systematic scoping review of randomized clinical trials. Oral Dis. 2023 Oct;29(7):2501-2511. Read the article.
2. 18 citations: Ardila CM, Vivares-Builes AM. Antibiotic Resistance in Patients with Peri-Implantitis: A Systematic Scoping Review. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Nov 24;19(23):15609. Read the article.
3. 13 citations: Ardila CM, Granada MI, Guzmán IC. Antibiotic resistance of subgingival species in chronic periodontitis patients. J Periodontal Res. 2010 Aug;45(4):557-63. Read the article.

3rd place: Sven Eric Niklander (Andrés Bello University, Chile)

Sven Eric Niklander is a full professor of Oral Pathology and Oral Medicine at the Faculty of Dentistry, Andrés Bello University, where he also directs the postgraduate diploma program in Oral Medicine. His publications received 218 citations in 2025. His most productive year was 2023, with 16 documents indexed in Scopus.

His research interests include oral pathology and oral medicine, particularly the molecular mechanisms of oral cancer, cellular senescence, odontogenic tumors, and xerostomia.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 included a narrative review, an observational study, and a scoping review. The first discussed the role of inflammatory mediators in oral cancer development and progression, as well as their potential diagnostic applications. The second investigated risk factors associated with xerostomia and hyposalivation and their impact on oral health-related quality of life. The third explored the available evidence on salivary biomarkers for the early detection of oral cancer.

1. 29 citations: Niklander SE. Inflammatory Mediators in Oral Cancer: Pathogenic Mechanisms and Diagnostic Potential. Front Oral Health. 2021 Feb 22;2:642238. Read the article.
2. 25 citations: Niklander S, Veas L, Barrera C, Fuentes F, Chiappini G, Marshall M. Risk factors, hyposalivation and impact of xerostomia on oral health-related quality of life. Braz Oral Res. 2017 Jan 16;31:e14. Read the article.
3. 23 citations: Bastías D, Maturana A, Marín C, Martínez R, Niklander SE. Salivary Biomarkers for Oral Cancer Detection: An Exploratory Systematic Review. Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 23;25(5):2634. Read the article.

2nd place: Rodrigo A. Giacaman (University of Talca, Chile)

Rodrigo A. Giacaman is a full professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca, where his research focuses on cariology. His publications received 452 citations in 2025. His most productive years were 2018 and 2020, with 11 documents indexed in Scopus in each year.

In July 2026, he also received the Premio Nacional de Ciencias Odontológicas (National Award in Dental Sciences), presented by the Chilean Division of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), in recognition of his scientific career.

An important distinction regarding his institutional affiliation should be noted. Although the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier database lists Giacaman as affiliated with the University of Chile, his appointment at the University of Talca was confirmed through official university sources and Chile’s National Agency for Research and Development (ANID).

His research interests include the microbiology of dental caries, the influence of diet and dietary habits, minimally invasive treatments, and oral health in older adults.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 were a systematic review with meta-analysis, a literature review, and a scientific consensus report. The first examined the global prevalence of dental caries and edentulism among middle-aged and older adults. The second discussed dental caries as a noncommunicable disease influenced by behavioral factors and lifestyle, along with the implications for clinical management. The third presented an international consensus on the role of microbial biofilms in maintaining oral health and contributing to the development of dental caries and periodontal diseases.

1. 61 citations: Borg-Bartolo R, Roccuzzo A, Molinero-Mourelle P, Schimmel M, Gambetta-Tessini K, Chaurasia A, Koca-Ünsal RB, Tennert C, Giacaman R, Campus G. Global prevalence of edentulism and dental caries in middle-aged and elderly persons: A systematic review and meta-analysis. J Dent. 2022 Dec;127:104335. Read the article.
2. 41 citations: Giacaman RA, Fernández CE, Muñoz-Sandoval C, León S, García-Manríquez N, Echeverría C, Valdés S, Castro RJ, Gambetta-Tessini K. Understanding dental caries as a non-communicable and behavioral disease: Management implications. Front Oral Health. 2022 Aug 24;3:764479. Read the article.
3. 33 citations: Sanz M, Beighton D, Curtis MA, Cury JA, Dige I, Dommisch H, Ellwood R, Giacaman RA, Herrera D, Herzberg MC, Könönen E, Marsh PD, Meyle J, Mira A, Molina A, Mombelli A, Quirynen M, Reynolds EC, Shapira L, Zaura E. Role of microbial biofilms in the maintenance of oral health and in the development of dental caries and periodontal diseases. Consensus report of group 1 of the Joint EFP/ORCA workshop on the boundaries between caries and periodontal disease. J Clin Periodontol. 2017 Mar;44 Suppl 18:S5-S11. Read the article.

1st place: César Andrés Rivera Martínez (University of Talca, Chile)

César Andrés Rivera Martínez is an associate professor at the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Talca, where he is affiliated with the Department of Stomatology and the Oral and Maxillofacial Histopathology Laboratory. His publications received 302 citations in 2025. His most productive years were 2017, 2021, and 2022, with seven documents indexed in Scopus in each year. He had also reached seven documents by October 2026.

Despite receiving fewer citations than several other researchers on this list, Rivera ranks first among the ten selected researchers because the Stanford/Elsevier ranking is based on the c-score, rather than citation counts alone. This composite indicator also incorporates the h-index, the hm-index, and citation counts for publications in which the researcher is the sole, first, or last author. Notably, Rivera was the sole author of his most-cited publication in 2025, an authorship position that contributes favorably to this indicator.

His research interests include oral pathology and oral medicine, with particular emphasis on oral cancer, salivary biomarkers, proteomics, and the oral microbiome. His work also explores the use of computational approaches to improve the diagnosis of oral mucosal diseases.

His three most-cited publications in 2025 comprised two narrative reviews and one systematic review, all related to oral cancer. The first provided an overview of the disease, including its epidemiology, carcinogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment. The second examined the histological and molecular characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma, with particular attention to tumor biomarkers and mechanisms of invasion. The third reviewed applications of machine learning in oral cancer research, particularly its potential to support diagnosis and disease assessment.

1. 106 citations: Rivera C. Essentials of oral cancer. Int J Clin Exp Pathol. 2015 Sep 1;8(9):11884-94. Read the article.
2. 23 citations: Rivera C, Venegas B. Histological and molecular aspects of oral squamous cell carcinoma (Review). Oncol Lett. 2014 Jul;8(1):7-11. Read the article.
3. 16 citations: López-Cortés XA, Matamala F, Venegas B, Rivera C. Machine-Learning Applications in Oral Cancer: A Systematic Review. Appl Sci. 2022;12(11):5715. Read the article.

Final considerations

This analysis highlights the diversity of research interests among the ten selected researchers. Nevertheless, an examination of their 30 most-cited publications during 2025 reveals that periodontology was the most frequently represented research area, including studies on peri-implant diseases. This was followed by public health and epidemiology, oral cancer, and cariology.

Dental materials and adhesive dentistry were also represented, although to a lesser extent. Importantly, some of the most highly cited epidemiological publications were not specifically related to dentistry but emerged from large international research collaborations.

The findings also demonstrate that a higher citation count does not necessarily translate into a higher position in the Stanford/Elsevier ranking. This is because the c-score combines several bibliometric indicators, including measures related to coauthorship and author position.

Finally, it is important to emphasize that this ranking reflects the bibliometric impact of scientific publications. It should not, on its own, be interpreted as a comprehensive assessment of research quality or the individual scientific contributions of each researcher.