## 4 Discussion
### Parameters Based on the Authors  
In the present study, we observed that in most of the studied articles the authors belonged to the same institution, with few international collaborations. However, when analyzing each of the 10 years individually, a reduction in the relative weight of the local sphere was observed. This trend was observed in the study of [PERSON], [PERSON] et al., where the collaboration in the publication authors from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania with authors from Finland, Sweden and the United States was analyzed [30]. In the globalized world in which we live, new technologies and programs that encourage stays abroad favor the establishment of relationships between institutions in different parts of the world.  
[PERSON], [PERSON] et al., in their bibliometric analysis on early childhood caries, observed that the greatest scientific production comes from the United States [31]. Other authors support these results, observing a greater scientific production from the USA, followed by Europe [32]. However, according to the ranking in the present study, the countries with the most publications on dental erosion are Brazil, the UK and the USA, showing a dominancy of the EU (41.5%) in first place due to the publication of articles in the UK, Switzerland, Germany, Norway and the Netherlands, with Central-South America in second place (27.3%).  
When analyzing the gender of the first author, articles signed by female researchers predominated slightly; regarding the gender of the last author, the predominance was for men. However, in both cases there was an upward trend in women as the years progressed.  
\begin{table}
\begin{tabular}{c c c c c c c c c c c c c c} \hline \hline  & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Total**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\begin{tabular}{c} **North** \\ **America** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**EU**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\begin{tabular}{c} **Europe** \\ **(Not EU)** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multicolumn{2}{c}{\
\begin{tabular}{c} **Pacific** \\ **Oceania** \\ \end{tabular} } & \multicolumn{2}{c}{**Other**} & \multicolumn{2}{c}{
\begin{tabular}{c} **Central-South** \\ **America** \\ \end{tabular} } \\ \cline{2-13}  & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** & **N** & **\%** \\ \hline Total & 1090 & 100\% & 104 & 100\% & 452 & 100\% & 18 & 100\% & 101 & 100\% & 117 & 100\% & 298 & 100\% \\ Preventive treatment & 301 & 27.6\% & 25 & 24\% & 114 & 25.2\% & 5 & 27.8\% & 19 & 18.8\% & 26 & 22.2\% & 112 & 37.6\% \\ Diet & 255 & 23.4\% & 21 & 20.2\% & 102 & 22.6\% & 7 & 38.9\% & 32 & 31.7\% & 35 & 29.9\% & 58 & 19.5\% \\ Hard tissues & 250 & 22.9\% & 14 & 13.5\% & 90 & 19.9\% & 5 & 27.8\% & 17 & 16.8\% & 30 & 25.6\% & 94 & 31.5\% \\ Prevalence & 156 & 14.3\% & 8 & 7.7\% & 69 & 15.3\% & 2 & 11.1\% & 17 & 16.8\% & 28 & 23.9\% & 32 & 10.7\% \\ Restorative treatment & 121 & 11.1\% & 10 & 9.6\% & 51 & 11.3\% & 1 & 5.6\% & 13 & 12.9\% & 12 & 10.3\% & 34 & 11.4\% \\ Saliva & 112 & 10.3\% & 11 & 10.6\% & 53 & 11.7\% & 1 & 5.6\% & 5 & 5.0\% & 9 & 7.7\% & 33 & 11.1\% \\ Hygiene & 110 & 10.1\% & 13 & 12.5\% & 49 & 10.8\% & 2 & 11.1\% & 14 & 13.9\% & 9 & 7.7\% & 23 & 7.7\% \\ Pathogenesis and clinical manifestations & 84 & 7.7\% & 16 & 15.4\% & 45 & 10.0\% & 1 & 5.6\% & 7 & 6.9\% & 6 & 5.1\% & 9 & 3.0\% \\ Diagnosis & 71 & 6.5\% & 7 & 6.7\% & 47 & 10.4\% & 1 & 5.6\% & 4 & 4.0\% & 4 & 3.4\% & 8 & 2.75\% \\ Systemic diseases & 71 & 6.5\% & 11 & 10.6\% & 26 & 5.8\% & 1 & 5.6\% & 9 & 8.9\% & 12 & 10.3\% & 12 & 4.0\% \\ Vomiting and regurgitation & 55 & 5.0\% & 9 & 8.7\% & 26 & 5.8\% & 0 & 0.0\% & 7 & 6.9\% & 6 & 5.1\% & 7 & 2.3\% \\ Medications & 45 & 4.1\% & 3 & 2.9\These results are supported by other studies, such as the research carried out by [PERSON], [PERSON] et al. [33]. This tendency may be a consequence of the increase in women studying dentistry, increasing from a fifth of all students in the 1980s to more than 50% today [34].