Hi Jim,
Most of the research data comparing the manual and electric or
ultrasonic brushe( UB) have found tht UB is equall or slightly more
effective than the manual brushes. The are slightly more effective at
removing the stains as compared to the manual brushes. It requires
lesser dexterity as compared to the manual brushes. Oral B is involved
with lot of scientific studies and so obiviously they have data to
prove wht they claim... and shud make them one of the top runners in
the brands of brushes.
Hope this helps
Regards,
Vinayak
hhtp://perio-blog.blogspot.com

Hi Jim,
The Cochrane group did a meta-analysis of all the various clinical
trials that have been performed so far concerning manual and electric
toothbrushes. It's been some time since I read it and you will probably
want to look it up yourself (I think it's available in the net), but
you will pleased to know you're using the type of toothbrush that came
first.
Sonic toothbrushes did not remove more plaque than manual toothbrushes
(when the manual ones were used properly of course), but the
oscillation-type toothbrushes removed something like 15% more plaque
(don't remember the exact amount).
So I would say that the oscillation brushes are the best currently and
this is the kind I'm using as well, but I wouldn't go as far as being
twice as good as a manual toothbrush. However, we will have to remember
that using a manual toothbrush properly (bass method and all that) is a
very hard job, especially when the bed is calling you. An electric is
considerably easier to use and will provide good results even when our
determination fails us.

The trick using the electric is to follow the same guidelines as for
the manual. Take your time and don't put any strength into it, just let
the brush do its job. Plaque adheres to teeth weakly and you don't need
any pressure to remove it. What I do is first use the regular head to
clean the smooth surfaces, which doesn't take much time, and then I
concentrate on using the "interproximal" head to clean along the
gumlines. I still floss before brushing, of course. By the time I'm
finished there's usually nothing visible left on my teeth and they feel
great. I only do this once a day at evening; at other times I don't
really have time for more than a quick brushing.

Regards,
George

I have never met a dentist or dental hygienist who did not strongly
recommend an electric toothbrush. This is especially important since most
tooth cleanings are done for a fixed price via insurance, regardless of the
amount cleaning time required.

I have had some hygienists recommend the SonicCare over the OralB, but they
are both better than manual. If you have already have a OralB, I would stay
with it until you need a new one, and then ask your hygienist for an
opinion.