INTRODUCTION: Dental caries is a prevalent oral disease with a multifactorial etiology. METHODS: The Web of Science core collections (WoSCC) were searched to acquire articles relevant to RESULTS: Sweden, the US, and China, which have been the center of international cooperation, have produced the most publications in the research area. Caries Research is the main counterpart journal in the field. "Dental caries", " DISCUSSION: Based on bibliometric analysis, this study reviews the relationship between lactobacilli and dental caries, emphasizing their dual roles. The detection rate of lactobacilli is closely associated with the incidence and severity of dental caries. However, under specific environmental conditions, these bacteria also exhibit potential probiotic properties that may aid in the prevention of dental caries. Additionally,