Preparing for Your Hearing Care Provider Visit? Why You Should Ask About Otoscan

Getting a hearing device is a significant step for many. Whether you're just getting older or looking for an earplug, you must make an informed decision about the device. But what about the process of obtaining one? Let's delve into the options and talk about the bright future of earmold impression technology.

You Need to Get Your Ear Impression Right

When my mother started having significant hearing issues, she was entirely adamant that no device was ever going to enter her ear. Ridiculous, right? The itsy-bitsy thing that's supposed to make your life easier gets a solid NO at the start.

If you think about it, there might be a fair reason for the outright animosity. Imagine that the device you need to wear daily looks preposterous, it falls out, feels extremely uncomfortable, and makes your ears hurt after a couple of hours. Not ideal, right? Especially with more mature people, these can, and understandably so, considerably lower the quality of one's life.

These are the reasons why getting a proper earmold impression is vital to the right fit of your hearing aid.

The Traditional Method of Making Ear Impressions Is Not Without Cons

There is a traditional method of making an ear impression: molding. What happens is:

1. Your hearing care provider checks your ear with an otoscope to ensure everything looks right.
2. If so, a molding material is prepared. It's usually made of mixed silicone or other medical-grade compounds.
3. The material is injected into the ear canal and left for about three minutes to harden.
4. The molding is taken out and then sent out to a product manufacturer.

Only a few people realize, however, that this process does have its drawbacks. These include:

• Problems with removing the ear molding from the ear canal, like blockage or resistance, which causes discomfort;
• Stretching the material while pulling it out, resulting in a less accurate final molding;
• Physical impressions must be delivered to a hearing device manufacturer, which takes time.

3D Is the Future—and It Might Well Replace Traditional Ear Molds with a Safe, Modern Approach

Making a physical earmold doesn't have to be your only option. And it isn't.

Comfort and Accuracy Sound Like Otoscan

The ear canal is a perfect candidate for 3D scanning. Otoscan is a device that lets you make an ear canal impression quickly, conveniently, and non-invasively. The process goes as follows:

1. Your hearing care provider puts a headband onto your head (similarly to headphones) as a reference point for Otoscan.
2. A small, contactless wand-shaped tool is inserted into the ear canal.
3. Scanning commences—usually, it takes no more than three minutes.
4. You can view a high-detailed, 3D impression on the connected computer screen.
5. The digital file is forwarded to a manufacturer in a matter of seconds.

Otoscan assesses the depth and spatial dimensions with utmost precision, preventing the tool from going too deep into the ear canal. Otoscan, for the most part, is minimally invasive, and rarely will touch the inside of the ear. This modern method allows medical specialists to provide top-quality service to patients without compromising their comfort or safety.

Choose Otoscan at Your Next Hearing Care Visit!

The benefits of Otoscan include:

• A lightning-fast and completely painless ear canal scanning experience of the highest standard;
• Quick and convenient service;
• An accurate and deep impression of even the most complex-built ear canal;
• An opportunity to get a fabulously well-fitted, state-of-the-art hearing device or earplug.

Where Do I Find the Nearest Otoscan Facility?

You can book a free hearing aid visit using the form below: