I was wondering what are the pros and cons of getting an ultrasonic teeth cleaning verus hand scaling?

It depends: Ultrasonic scaling is a quicker way to remove gross deposits, some units can be as efficient as hand scaling, the goal is to smooth the root surface, the real difference is hand scaling give the operator better control and feed back. Hand scaling takes longer but when done by a good hygienist can give excellent results. Hope this helps, dr mokbel, scdentalimplants.Com.

Prophylaxis: Both hand scalers and ultrasonic scalers can accomplish the same thing. Most dentists and dental hygienists have a preference and the vast majority use both. Some patients find the noise and vibration more annoying with the ultrasonic scalers. As a dentist i personally find the ultrasonic scaler more effective and quicker in removing calculus and deposits although i often use hand scalers as well.