E-mailing a friend instead of writing a handwritten letter. Microwaving your meal rather than using the oven. Calling from a cell phone instead of hunting for a pay phone. It's clear that Americans are living in a faster-paced world than a century ago.

Society's demand for instant gratification also applies to the world of dentistry, as people increasingly retire their manual toothbrushes in favor of their electric counterparts.

Today, studies show that due to their rapid, rotating bristles, electric toothbrushes cover areas in the mouth faster and more efficiently. But the technology has advanced since the electric toothbrush first appeared in the U.S. in 1960.

For example, Oralbotic Research Inc. developed the HydraBrush Express, which is designed to effectively remove plaque and stains, stimulate gums and provide effortless brushing.

According to research conducted by the market consulting firm Frost & Sullivan, the HydraBrush "has proved to be a bridge between home dental care and professional dental care." The brush ranks high in dentist and consumer ratings due to its ease of use and effectiveness and won Frost & Sullivan's 2005 Oral and Dental Care Product of the Year Award.

What sets the HydraBrush Express apart from other electric toothbrushes? The tool has automatic bristle positioning, gum massaging and multi-brush heads that move at 810 strokes per minute. To use it, you bite into the brushes and simply guide the handle toward the back of your mouth.

The brush cleans all six surfaces of your teeth simultaneously, eliminating the human error aspect of brushing. The process takes 40 seconds or less.