The aim of this systematic literature review was to evaluate which type of periodontal preventive and therapeutic approaches presents superior outcomes in patients with Down syndrome (DS). Studies reporting different methods of periodontal care from DS patients were considered eligible. Included clinical studies should indicate at least two periodontal parameters in different periods of assessment. Screening of the articles, data extraction and quality assessment were conducted independently and in duplicate. Electronic search according to the PICO search, with both Key-words and MESH terms were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE and CENTRAL databases until March 2016. Manual search was conducted in four journals, namely Journal of Periodontology, Journal of Clinical Periodontology, Journal of Periodontal Research and Special Care in Dentistry and their electronic databases were searched. Electronic and manual search resulted in 763 papers, and of them 744 were excluded after title/abstract assessment. The full text of 19 potentially eligible publications was screened and 9 studies met inclusion criteria. The results demonstrated the importance to introduce youngest DS patients in preventive programs, as well as participation of parents, caregivers or institutional attendants in supervising/performing oral hygiene. In studies with higher frequency of attendance, all age groups presented superior preventive and therapeutic results, irrespective of the therapeutic approach used (surgical/nonsurgical/periodontal care program). The important factors for reducing periodontal parameters were the frequency of the appointments and association with chlorhexidine/plaque disclosing agents as adjuvant treatment. This systematic review demonstrated that early introduction in periodontal care, participation of parents/caregivers/institutional attendants, frequency of attendance and association with chemical adjuvants (independently of the periodontal treatment adopted) seems to improve periodontal outcomes in preventive and periodontal treatment of DS patients. Registration number (Prospero): CRD42016038433.

Focused Clinical Question: How should cases of altered passive and active eruption be diagnosed, classified, and treated?Summary: Frequently, a “gummy smile” contributes to esthetic problems and is caused by several factors such as vertical maxillary growth, dentoalveolar extrusion, short upper lip, upper lip hyperactivity, altered passive eruption (APE), or a combination of these factors. APE is a genetic or developmental condition characterized by coronal positioning of the gingival margin over enamel, resulting in short clinical crowns. Active eruption is defined as tooth movement in the occlusal direction as the tooth erupts from its osseous crypt. Altered active eruption (AAE) occurs when teeth achieve the opposite relationship to the occlusal plane prematurely and the osseous crest is on or very close to the cemento‐enamel junction. Thus, correct understanding of biologic events related to APE and AAE should be considered in the classification of a gummy smile. This article proposes a modification of a previous clinical classification and provides a surgical guide for treatment planning of cases involving APE and/or AAE. Periodontal biotypes are also taken into consideration.Conclusions: This article proposes modification of a previous classification dealing with two eruptive processes known as AAE and APE. Clinical cases and schemes enable understanding and treatment planning of different conditions.