Ear Impressions: The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly

One of the first steps in creating quality custom-fit earpieces is taking an ear impression - and not just any ear impression, but a good one. The impression is the blueprint from which any custom-fit product for the human ear will be made. The quality of the finished product is directly related to the quality of the impression. Any problems or deficiencies in the ear impression can significantly affect patient satisfaction, comfort, and finally, the use of a finished custom-fit earpiece.

So what makes a good impression? A bad one? Or a plain ol’ ugly one? Let’s dive into what makes an impression great, and what to do to avoid sending in an impression that just won’t cut it.

The Good

There are five criteria for making a perfect ear impression. These include ensuring the concha is round and full with no pockets or voids; checking that the canal length is past the second bend; ensuring the helix is complete through to the tip; making sure the tragus has been completely covered; and checking that the oto-dam has imprinted completely across the canal tip. Meet these five criteria and you most likely will never need to remake an impression.

Below is a depiction of a good impression. These are the impressions that make the best custom-fit earpieces.

The Bad

Missing any of the above criteria could lead to a possible remake, which causes the process to take longer than necessary. Make sure there are no pockets or voids in the impression. The canal length must be past the second bend in order to make the best quality earpiece. Additionally, a proper otoscopic exam beforehand will help ensure the best possible impression is made. Impacted cerumen, excessive ear hair, inflammation, fluids, bony growths, or anything else that may impact the quality of the impression needs to be taken into consideration. 

Without taking the time to ensure you meet the five criteria, we may receive a bad impression that needs to be remade. Avoid this by taking the extra time to make it correctly right off the bat. 

Below is a depiction of several bad impressions. Avoid these at all costs!

The Ugly

We don’t believe anyone would purposely make an “ugly” ear impression, and we don’t have any examples of ugly impressions. The main takeaway here is to avoid the ugly situation of needing a remake by hitting all the right checkpoints before sending the impression.

Please note that the type of impression material used can also impact the quality of the impression. For years, Westone has provided the gold standard in quality silicone ear impression material. Our proprietary formula is how we started selling audiology supplies. Our material is formulated to reveal every detail and feature of the ear, and provide the best possible blueprint for any of our custom-fit products. They’re still pink, and as always, the best impression material money can buy.

Westone offers a variety of impression materials depending on your needs. Vinyl polysiloxane is the most popular impression material in use today. Westone offers three different vinyl polysiloxane products:

• Silicone Singles® are available as pre-measured units, making them extremely easy and convenient to use.
• SiliClone® and SiliClone® FIRM Cartridges are conveniently packaged for use with manual or electric impression guns. When propelled through the special mixing tip, the two-part material is automatically mixed to the proper consistency.
• Silicast® is a two-part material packaged in bulk containers. Accurate measurement of the material is ensured by using the two different color-specific scoops provided.
• Westone also offers Addition-Cure Silicone. This is a base and catalyst material that consists of a base putty and a tube of hardener. A scoop is provided for ease of measuring. Our Silicast can be mixed either by “Spleading” or by hand. 

Call us or click to westone.com today and we can help you decide what impression material will work best for you. We are happy to answer any questions about making a good ear impression as well. Let’s stick with the good and avoid the bad and the ugly!