At the Holidays in June event (just one of the billions of press events designed to get press folk jumpstarted on gift guides), Gearlog was presented with some Ultreo toothbrushes to try out. The idea behind this $169 rechargeable gadget is that in addition to providing bristle action, its built-in ultrasound really gets your pearlies clean, helping to remove more stains and plaque than a regular electric toothbrush can.

Unfortunately, we have no benchmark tests in the PC Magazine Labs to gauge plaque removal... but the Ultreo site links to numerous studies that seem to support the claim that it's effective. Three of us have been doing some anecdotal testing of the Ultreo for a couple months now; two of us really like the Ultreo, but one of us just couldn't get into using it. Check out our findings after the jump.

When you first start brushing with the Ultreo--especially if you've never used an electric toothbrush before--the vibrating head feels very strange, especially against the roof of your mouth; kind of ticklish and uncomfortable. Also, you're not supposed to press hard against your teeth; the brush is creating bubbles that help to remove plaque and bacteria, and they are supposed to do the bulk of the work. It all takes some getting used to. Once you've used the Ultreo for a few days, though, your mouth gets habituated, and it's not a big deal.

One thing the two of us who like the Ultreo appreciated was that after you turn it on and start brushing, it beeps every 30 seconds, then shuts itself off after 4 half-minute sessions. You are instructed to focus on brushing each of the 4 quadrants of your mouth for each 30-second period. Brian wasn't sure if he had ever really brushed for 2 full minutes before; now he does twice a day, and that alone makes us like this brush. For the two of us, our teeth feel very clean after we brush, too. But Molly, the one holdout, says she couldn't get used to the vibration, and that she didn't get a clean feeling afterward and would use her "Luddite" toothbrush as well.

Again, we can't definitely say how much plaque is being removed (at least not until the next dentist visit). But I've noticed that my teeth look brighter since I started with the Ultreo. (Maybe I should have done a Dan Costa-like photo of my teeth each week... but that's just too much information, I think.)

Our conclusion: It may not be for everyone, but two out of three Gearloggers love this toothbrush and are now loyal adherents.