Why Do You Need an Earmold?

An earmold is simply an insert that channels sound reproduced by a hearing aid receiver to the eardrum. Earmolds come in two basic styles: concha and canal. Each style has sub-styles, for diverse options for hearing aid wearers.

Types of earmolds

Concha earmolds live in the ear concha and the ear canal. Concha earmolds come in standard, shell, skeleton or non-occluding forms. A standard concha earmold fits the entire concha. The shell earmold does not include the bowl, providing a more visually appealing look for many hearing aid wearers. The skeleton earmold concha is even smaller than the shell earmold, looking like a ring.

For canal style earmolds, hearing aid wearers can choose from half-shell, canal and canal-lock styles. The half-shell canal earmold sits in the cavum-concha. The can earmold fits in the canal aperture and the canal-lock earmold contains a small handle-like tail that extends to the ear concha.

Selecting an earmold

When trying to determine which type of earmold is right for you, it is important to discuss acoustic seal, retention, insertion and comfort with your hearing healthcare professional. Not every ear has great retention — a spot within the ear canal that looks like a hook, where the earmold would rest. Because of this, some earmold styles would not benefit a hearing aid wearer with little retention. These individuals would likely opt for full concha earmolds that rest in the canal.

Fitting the earmold

Ease of insertion is typically thought to be best determined by the earmold wearer. Some earmolds, such as the canal mold, slide in easily. Others, such as the half-style shell, are bulky and can be guided with ease into the canal.

Acoustic seal refers to the quality of sound produced within the ear. The earmold will need to fit properly so that static, feedback or distortion of one’s own voice doesn’t occur. A hearing healthcare professional will perform tests to determine proper acoustic seal. 

Earmold adjustments

Last but not least, comfort is vital for proper earmold fitting. A well-fitted earmold should fit snugly in the cartilage area without making contact with the canal’s bony portion. A snug fit can be assured by the impression created by your hearing healthcare profession, trimming and coating.

Luckily, your hearing healthcare professional takes care of most of the earmold fitting process for you. What’s important for you is to speak up if something fits with discomfort or you experience unwanted feedback or other issues.