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Earmold lifespan

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How long do acrylic earmolds last? Is it a good idea to have a backup pair of earmolds, just in case?

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My Oticon acrylic custom molds have lasted a couple of years without a problem.

Your ears change every year and it’s best to get new earmolds every three years, maybe longer if you’re not getting feedback

I have an acrylic ear mold (they’ve been custom-made (diff. materials) for decades. At 2 years, it was obvious I needed a new one made. The problem is it’s “reverse engineered” so an impression was made of the mold that fit and a mold was created from that. It’s now difficult to impossible to get a new one made that actually fits.

I vaguely remember reading about that. Any clue how much the 3d scan costs and where in this world you can get it? 3-d images have been around since @65 and I remember seeing it used some years later. That is really cool. That would be the best option. BUT where? I do searches and hope you have an idea.

When I went to audiologist for the 3rd time, I had the office send color pictures with current mold from the 2nd impression they took and said make it look like this. They didn’t … and it’s a problem that’ll cause blisters if I wear it too much.

The “reverse engineering” of an ear mold audiologist is excruciatingly difficult to find (and not exactly working this time, so wondering about 3-d scans due to the cost for machine and to do one). If I go back to have this mold adjusted, it’s the 4th time back with the 5th time back going to back when it likely will still fail. 200 miles for a $170 mold so far. (I asked the audi and company to send it directly to me and they won’t.)

Thanks for giving me a few nanoseconds of hope :slight_smile: .

Sorry about potential ramble. Mods, please remove it if needed.

Not sure about the cost. I assume it wouldn’t be much more than earmold impressions. As far where to get them. Really depends on how many different audiologist clinics you have around you. Simplest way would be to check the clinics website or Google search for your area. Should be be under services offered. If not just have to call and ask.

We have many audiologists around. But specialty audiologists are rare. A couple months ago to avoid my driving for the reverse-engineered mold, I contacted a place down the street and couldn’t have been more clear in what I wanted. They said come in, fill out a form and see the audi who wasted my time coming in. I walked out telling them to remove my personal info (like they’d really do that).

Cost - 3-D, while old technology that evolved will likely be expensive for the machine. I’ll look with a non-”goo” search engine. Not holding my breath, though. (Calling is out of the question :slight_smile: .). Tnx again.

Otoscan 3D Ear Scanning | PA Center for Hearing and Balance1

3D ear scans are safe and modern alternatives to the traditional procedure of silicone earmold impression so that the true shape of the ears can be fully

pacenterforhearingandbalance.com/otoscan-3d-ear-scanning1 < I don’t like the links that don’t show the URL. Add an :https// at the beginning and the rest here and copy the rest of the link.
I sent them a question about odds for fitting and asked about price. We’ll see what happens. I’ll let y’all know. At least it’s in my state and while it’s an hour away, it could well be worth it. Thanks again for that modicum of hope.

I’m planning on doing so. It makes sense that the company wouldn’t want to allow the files to be taken from them. Keeps their consumers going back there rather than someplace else. It’s the way of life in this country since this practice goes way way back.

Also will let you folks know what happens with my attempting to get a refund on my ear mold. I finally spoke to a c card rep. I said I didn’t know if I could even dispute the charge. The reason given was it was custom-made (so no refunds). I said most ear molds are and have been since I started using them. I just reached the point where I was tired of feeling ripped off by ear molds that were poorly or incorrectly made (even when my ears were in much better shapes).

Here’s the answer from a place a bit over an hour from me. It’s from pacecenterforhearing.com1 If you click on that link, it takes you to that website. (Often the actual address is hidden so I won’t click on those links.)

First the answer to my question.

Thank you for your email. We are unable to give you what the odds will be with earmolds made with 3D scans. We do not know your history or the reason the previous earmolds did not work. <I’m adding a comment that they don’t know my history but I did describe what they’re up against with my ear, that would be enough for someone to predict if it would possibly work. Since I’ve been dealing with this for many decades, I’ve heard too many audiologist say, “Of course we can make a mold for you!”>.

We are happy to give it a try and do our best to get you hearing your best. That is all we can promise.

The cost for bilateral earmolds with 3D scans can range from $260-350, depending on what manufacturer the earmolds are ordered from.

<I asked about a refund if it didn’t fit. Here’s the typical response.>

The 3D scanner (Otoscan) is inserted into the ear canal and will adjust accordingly to the surfaces of the canal and shell of your ear to create the scan. If your ear canal is too narrow, then a 3D scan may not work for you. We would not know until we have you in the office.

Unfortunately, because earmolds are custom made and unable to be returned to the manufacturer, they are non-refundable.

*****

With this, I quit and won’t pursue any of this. Spending $260-$350 without a modicum of a chance of getting even a partial refund, sounds a bit ridiculous to me. But it sure sounded like a fabulous idea. Best of luck folks.

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