Tag Archives: bone anchored hearing aid

Initial Thoughts on Ponto 5 SuperPower: Great Power and Processing

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We recently spoke to a long-time Ponto™ wearer with single-sided deafness (SSD) who tried out our new Ponto 5 SuperPower. They kindly gave us permission to share their reaction, because they want to encourage others with similar hearing conditions to treat their hearing loss effectively.

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Hey there! I have had single-sided deafness for more than 20 years. I’ve struggled to hear voices on my “deaf” side and either had to ask for repetition or ask the person to move to my “good” side. Also, hearing in noisy environments is very difficult and drains me of my energy. It was a big decision to get implanted with a bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) and I inevitably waited longer than I should have to get the surgery. Overall, it was a simple procedure.

I have been wearing Ponto since the second-generation Ponto Plus was available. I have tried other products with mixed results due to poor sound quality and reliability. Next, I transitioned to a Ponto 3 SuperPower, and was really impressed with the improvement in sound quality with a more powerful device.

When Ponto 4 came out, new sound processing and Bluetooth® technologies were available with direct streaming to the device. While Ponto 4 was not a power device, these improvements were enough for me to upgrade and the sound quality from the Oticon OpenSound Navigator™ seemed to make up for the lack of overall power. There were some issues however, as the sound felt slightly flat and the streaming was a little too soft, especially when there was any sort of background noise.

I have been using the Ponto 5 Superpower since it became available, and it is so great! I now have the power and processing that makes sounds feel incredibly natural. I can tell that there is a calmness and relaxation in my body and mind when I am wearing the Ponto 5 Superpower. Hearing this naturally makes a really big difference day to day and there is a depth to the sound that I have not experienced with any previous bone conduction device.

Combine this with the amazing streaming volume, which to me sounds louder and not distorted, and I would say that this is certainly a step forward compared to any of my previous devices. I would encourage anyone wearing a BAHS to try the Ponto 5 Superpower and experience these things for themselves. It was well worth my time and effort to go through this process.

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Are you ready to upgrade to the Ponto 5 SuperPower? You can try it out before you decide! Please visit the Upgrade Your Ponto page on our website for details.

Enjoying Life with the New Ponto 5 Mini

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Sandi Arcus is a Dispensing Audiologist in Nevada. Born with single-sided deafness (SSD), she has always had a passion for helping others who are hard of hearing. She started her career in Pennsylvania as an audiologist in a busy ENT office, then in private practice. She currently works at an audiology clinic in Henderson, NV. Sandi holds a Master of Science degree in Audiology from Bloomsburg University, is a Fellow with the American Academy of Audiology, and holds a Certificate of Clinical Competency from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

As both an expert in hearing health and someone with first-hand experience in hearing loss, Sandi kindly offered to share her opinion about her new PontoTM 5 Mini bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) from Oticon Medical.

Sandi Arcus Tests Out Ponto 5 Mini

I decided to upgrade from my previous Ponto processor, because I’m always curious about new technology and fascinated by small instruments making big improvements in sound quality. I’ve been particularly impressed by the following Ponto 5 Mini features:

  • With the OpenSound Navigator™, I can hear speech better in a noisy restaurant, car, and wind. There is a noted improvement from the previous model.
  • I never had too much of a feedback issue, but now with the OpenSound Optimizer™, it’s even less. Now that I think about it, I haven’t heard any feedback!
  • The RemoteCare option is a great tool for follow-up care. Very convenient.

While the previous model already did a great job of making it easier to hear and understand speech in noisy environments,  I’ve noted that with Ponto 5 Mini, it takes less effort to hear speech in difficult listening situations, which means less frustration.

The Ponto 5 Mini definitely supports my busy life!!  It’s small yet powerful!!! I don’t feel like I’m missing anything, and people around me notice that as well. It makes me feel that I am doing the very best that I can do to hear the very best that I can hear! I feel more confident going into difficult listening situations.  I’m less concerned and anxious that I will miss something.

If someone is considering whether to get their first Ponto 5 Mini or upgrading from their current BAHS, I want to tell you that you don’t know what you are missing until you try it. It’s the little sounds that I thought I was hearing “well enough”—it became more apparent that I had not been hearing them “well enough” after all. It enhances the sounds around me enough to sound closer to “normal” and greatly reduces my listening effort. Give Ponto 5 Mini a try!

What’s the Ponto 3? This Video Explains

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The Ponto 3 is the world’s most powerful family of abutment-level sound processors. Powered by the advanced sound processing Inium Sense chip and supported by Direct Sound Transmission, the Ponto 3 makes listening in different situations easier.

Sound is sent straight to the bone, and on to the inner ear and the brain, without it having to travel through the skin which dampens sound.

But that’s not all. The Ponto 3 is also as discreet and reliable as it is powerful.

Watch this short video for a more detailed look at the Ponto 3.

If you’re interested in taking the next step in your hearing care journey to get the best sound quality possible, sign up to learn more about the Ponto 3.

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Adam Shares His Journey with Hearing Loss and the Ponto Bone Anchored Hearing System (BAHS)

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We are so lucky to be able to share Erin Wiggle’s heartfelt story about her husband, Adam. Adam serves in the Navy and has an Oticon Medical Bone Anchored Hearing System (BAHS), the Ponto.

Erin shares  Adam’s account of his ordeal of chronic ear infections and multiple surgeries throughout the years that finally led to permanent hearing loss of his right ear. In her post, she leads us through Adam’s journey to getting his Ponto. Adam adjusts his life well with his Ponto. However, he reveals that one of his adjustments is dealing with the insensitivity of strangers. Adam said, “The constant questioning from strangers has left me a little bitter.”

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Teen Shares Her Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) Surgery Story with the World

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UPDATE: The Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS) procedure has now received FDA clearance and will soon be available in the United States.

Ponto surgery with tissue preservation has been done for a few years now. Also, many physicians use a “punch” incision with this technique. What this new MIPS surgery and surgical items provide are the first tools designed specifically to support and advance these great techniques with the aim at making it easier and more safe for patients to get the best possible results.

An excited 15-year-old, Karina Theoret, shared her story about getting an abutment for her bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) with a new surgical procedure, Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery (MIPS). When she stepped into the operating room at the Montreal Children’s Hospital last week, she was more excited than nervous. Karina has been deaf in her right ear since she was born. Soon, she’ll be able to hear with a bone anchored hearing system.

MIPS Surgery Because Karina is the first person in North America to undergo surgery with this new technique, her story was captured and shared by CTV News Montreal, and you can view it below.

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Resources for Parents and Teachers of Children with Hearing Loss

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While hearing systems like the Ponto can help children with hearing loss have a better experience in school, there are additional steps to ensure they’re getting everything they need and that everyone is informed and on the same page. That’s why we’ve put together a “living” folder of resources for parents and teachers to make school as enjoyable and effective as possible.

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Get Two Packs of Free Batteries For Your Bone Anchored Hearing System

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Ponto_Plus_sit_26Are you interested in getting your hands (and ears) on two packs of free batteries for your bone anchored hearing device?

We thought you might be!

We want to hear from you! There’s no better way to create great products than to get real feedback from the people who know your products best. So, for a few minutes of your time, we’ll give you two packs of free batteries for your device.

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Lifting up Luca with the Ponto Plus Power

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We all want our hopes and dreams to come to fruition, but what happens when they come to fruition before you’re ready? For Anne and Robert Brooks, their hope and dream was to give birth to a baby boy. This aspiration did come true, but too soon—their son, Luca, was born prematurely at 34 weeks.

As a result of the early delivery, Luca was born with, as well as diagnosed post-birth with Branchio-oto-renal syndrome. Anne and Robert with met with an Audiologist and ENT to learn more about Luca’s condition and potential solutions. After learning about all of the hearing solution options, they set out on a long and tiresome quest over the course of a year that consisted of carefully written emails, letters, and marathon phone calls with their insurance provider. Ultimately, this proved to be a fruitless effort, as they were denied coverage.

During this time, they came across Ear Community and learned met many other families who shared their stories and advice.

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Finding A Hopeful Future: Life After An Acoustic Neuroma with the Ponto Plus

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Think back to the last time you felt alone.

Maybe you had just moved to a new city where you didn’t know anyone. Maybe you experienced an unexpected breakup. Or, maybe you just felt unappreciated. The thing is, with any of those ‘alone’ moments, the moment passes. You make friends. You meet someone new. Somebody compliments you.

For Rebecca Davenport, that moment never passed.

“My world was so quiet. You’re isolated. You don’t know what’s going on in your environment.”

Rebecca, a mother of four and PhD candidate, was diagnosed with an Acoustic Neuroma in August 2013, a tumor of the Eighth Cranial Nerve responsible for hearing. Rebecca met with physicians in Portland and after weighing the pros and cons, they deemed it necessary for her to have two surgeries.

As with most surgeries, there were no guarantees. From the routine to the most complex, there is always some degree of risk involved. In Rebecca’s case the risk was high.

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Kris Siwek Picked the Ponto System for Bone Anchored Hearing, Here’s Why

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Kris Siwek suddenly lost her hearing after being diagnosed with a tumor at age 29. Here’s how she decided on the Oticon Medical Ponto system, and the results after becoming a long-term user.

“It’s a part of me, and it’s an extension of me. I put it on in the morning and don’t think about it again until I take it off at night, ” Kris explains in the video below.

Want to learn more about Kris’s story? You can read more here and watch our Google+ Hangout On Air with Kris here. Have a question? Let us know in the comments section below.