SO here is the scoop on ear molds…
There are quite a few ear mold companies out there. And then of course, the manufacturers of hearing devices also make ear molds. The costs depend on what kind of ear mold, what kind of technology, and which company does it for you.
Most dispensers/AuDs will include the first set with your new devices, but some some will itemize it out. That is a choice for the practice. There are actually something like 10 or 15 different hardnesses of material available from very soft silicone, to hypoallergenic silicone, all the way to hard lucite, and everything in between. There are also hollow shell ear molds that are fairly popular now… Phonak calls them slimtips and Oticon calls them Litetips, and others have their own names.
The shape or your ear canal, the brand of hearing device, the sensitivity of your ear canal and the type and severity of the hearing loss are all factors that must be balanced.
And NOW, most manufacturers have high power ear molds that have the receiver built into the mold. This makes these styles more expensive.
PLUS, what kind of shipping do you want to pay for? And if the ear mold is not QUITE perfect, do you want to have to pay for that shipping again to get it remade?
So as a premium service provider, my practices charge on the higher side in our area. BUT, we overnight ship everything. Thats $20+ each time. And I prefer to use the device manufacturers ear mold labs, which tend to be more expensive than third parties. Why? Because they each know their own products the best. So if I am fitting a Phonak, I feel Phonak does the best job of making molds for Phonak devices. If I am fitting Oticon, I like Oticon molds, etc…
And I never charge YOU for the shipping for a remake, because I want that ear mold to be correct for you.
There was a time when I had a different price for every ear mold and variation. It got really stupid complicated and made people more likely to choose an inferior option for the purpose of saving a few dollars. So to simplify, I consolidated everything. Now I include ear molds with the device purchase, and just charge $125 for each additional earmold no matter what options are selected and I cover the cost of unlimited remakes and modification until we get it just right. In the end run, sometimes I lose money on ear molds, and sometimes I make money. But it always seems to balance out, and my business run much smoother having just one price and always ordering the option that will suit the patient the best. I do not consider myself to be in the business of selling ear molds. Ear molds are just a PART of a hearing device. If that means an absolute power Starkey ear mold or a Phonak cshell integrated super power receiver or an Oticon minifit105 power receiver mold, then so be it.
But every practice is free to do as they want. I have made instant impressions for people in the office as well. They are crappy quality and do not hold up nearly as long. And every patient who has brought in their own home made molds always has the same problems… Poor fit, poor quality, and usually too shallow because they couldn’t see what they were doing…