Ear Impressions
Custom ear impressions provide a tailored fit for earplugs, hearing aids, and hearing protection, offering not only enhanced comfort and sound quality but also effective water exclusion.
The custom moulds create a watertight seal in the ear, making them ideal for preventing water from entering the ear canal during activities like swimming, surfing, sailing, or any water sport where immersion is possible. This secure fit reduces the risk of ear infections and water damage, offering peace of mind for those frequently in or around water.
Having custom made ear plugs provides a watertight seal which dramatically reduces the chance of ear infections for those with sensitive ears. By preventing water ingress, these custom solutions protect your ears from irritation and potential long-term damage including swimmers and surfers ear.
Whether you’re a professional athlete or a casual swimmer, custom ear impressions offer superior protection and comfort tailored specifically to your needs.
The consultation will begin with your understanding and hopes as well as the intended use for ear moulds. There are a variety of reasons why people would have impressions made, and their use will change how we can get the best impression for you.
As with all assessments and treatments at Peninsula Ear Care a completed consent form is required before the appointment. This should be done online, but if this wasn’t possible we will need to complete in the clinic. The practitioner will examine both ears, first the outer and then the inner ear canal with an otoscope.
For an impression to be taken, there needs to be no wax in the ear canal or you will get a poor fit and seal with the potential of pain when using the moulds. This will could result in a negative experience and expensive mould being produced which fails to fit in the longer term. If wax is present it might be possible to clear at this time, but if there is a large amount then a separate appointment will be required to complete the wax and impression process. This will also come at an additional expense.
We use a two-part material will be used to take the impression, this will harden in about 5 minutes, during which time you will have very little hearing.
The completed impressions can be taken by you at the time of appointment for you to send to your manufacturer.
What will happen step by step?
- You will be asked to sit in a chair.
- The clinician will examine your ears using the otoscope.
- A small funnel (a speculum) is held just inside your ear to make the canal easier to view.
- If there is wax present it might not be possible to undertake the impression and you will be advised at the time.
- If there is no wax present, the clinician will insert a small sponge with a string attached into the ear canal to prevent the silicon from adhering to the ear drum.
- Once the position is checked and the sponge is secured in the correct location then a silicon mixture will be prepared, and using a special syringe it will be introduced to the ear.
- It’s possible that you will be asked to use a bite block, to keep the mouth open, especially if you are having the impressions made for singing, as this affects the shape of the ear canal and results in a better fit.
- Once the material is sufficiently hardened, this will be about 10 minutes, it can be taken out of the ear and prepared for sending to the manufacturer.
- A final check will take place to ensure that the ear is clear of silicon and no parts have been left in the ear during this procedure.
- Throughout the procedure, the clinician will be telling you exactly what they are doing and check that you are comfortable to make sure everything is just right for you.
Foam and Silicon impression material about to fill the ear.
Foam and Silicon impression material in the ear.
