Silicone impression materials come in several forms. The earliest type involves hand mixing putty from a jar with paste from a tube. Our brand is MICRO-SIL.
The most popular silicone impression material today is the silicone-addition system, or equal parts of Parts A and B. A white catalyst is added to a colored base and mixed until a consistent color is achieved. Several varieties and colors of this product are available from Microsonic's Accessory Division, including a single-use example of this product. Products include MEGA-SIL ™, MEGA-SIL ™ SOLOS, SILASOFT and QUIKFLOATERS™.
The third type of silicone system is the cartridge-gun combination, in which the material is mixed in a disposable tip that is changed for each patient. Its advantage is the automatic hands-free mixing and delivery. Microsonic's products are MEGA-PRESS and READY-PRESS.
Also available but increasingly disused is the powder-and-liquid impression material. It requires careful hand mixing in a cup, and is extremely temperature-sensitive after set-up.
Certain tools and materials are essential to the impressioning process. You will need, at a minimum:
- An otoscope, for initial inspection of the ear, as outlined above. You may also use the otoscope to verify the final placement of the canal block.
- An earlight, to place the canal block.
- Cotton or foam canal blocks, to protect the eardrum from damage by impression material if it comes too close.
- Blunt-end scissors, to trim the canal block if necessary, and to trim any hair in the ear that may affect the impression.
- Impression material, of your choice.
- Impression syringe (the best have smooth action and self-cleaning characteristics) or cartridge gun and mixing tips
- Order forms; be certain to give the lab all the information it needs to make your earmold correctly.
- Shipping boxes
