A: Scott, anybody can do a great job with a manual toothbrush if properly trained and motivated. But when it comes to encouraging good oral hygiene habits and techniques among our kids, we need every advantage we can get. In my practice I regularly meet parents who tell me that if it were not for an electric toothbrush, their children would never brush. Now, if an electric toothbrush motivates a child to brush, and to brush longer then, yes, it really is that much better than the old-fashioned model! Seriously, though, some studies find that electric toothbrushes can be superior to manual ones.