Tag Archives: bone anchored hearing

Traveling With Your Sentio System

In previous years, we have provided articles with travel tips for our Ponto™ System wearers. Now that it’s time for winter vacations, here are suggestions for traveling with your Sentio™ System, the active transcutaneous hearing system we introduced more than a year ago. We hope these tips will help you enjoy your time away from home with confidence!

Airline Travel with Sentio

If you are traveling by plane, make sure you inform TSA personnel that you are wearing an implantable hearing device. They will recommend whether you should remove your Sentio 1 Mini sound processor(s) at the security checkpoint, so follow their instructions. Don’t worry—it is safe to pass through the scanner.

Once on the airplane, you can enable Flight Mode during takeoff and landing to disable your Sentio’s Bluetooth®, if required by flight personnel. The sound processor itself will continue working, so you can hear your seatmate, flight attendants, and announcements.

Activate or deactivate Flight Mode by pressing either the front- or back-facing part of the Sentio’s double push button for seven seconds. After a few seconds, you will hear a jingle that indicates Mute mode. Keep pressing the button until a final jingle is heard, which confirms you have successfully activated/deactivated Flight Mode. Removing and reinserting the battery will also deactivate Flight Mode, with the same, short jingle confirming implementation.

Sentio Maintenance Throughout Your Trip

While you’re traveling, it is a good idea to keep your Sentio 1 Mini in its case whenever you aren’t using it. This protects it from dust, dirt, water, or other substances that could affect its performance.

You should be aware that the chemicals used in cosmetics may damage the processor. These include items commonly used during vacations, including the following:

Hairspray
Perfume
Aftershave cream or lotion
Suntan lotion or spray
Insect repellant

If you use any of the above, make sure you do so before putting on your Sentio processor and avoid the area around it as much as possible.

While the processor is resistant to daily life situations (e.g., exposure to rain going from your car to someplace indoors), it is not waterproof, so don’t dive into a swimming pool or otherwise immerse it in water. Of course, accidents can happen. If your Sentio 1 Mini winds up getting wet, remove the battery lid, remove the battery and let it dry out. If you have a hearing aid dryer along, you can put it in that for a cycle.

Keep Your Sentio System Charged

One thing you definitely want to avoid is having your Sentio 1 Mini run out of charge while you’re traveling. Battery life varies depending on usage time, sound environment, how frequently you stream, and other factors. Make sure you bring enough spare Size 675 batteries along to keep your processor up and running for the length of your trip. They are small, so err on the side of packing more than you think you might need. Don’t forget the battery lid tool included with your Sentio System, so that you can easily open the battery door.

You will know it is time to replace the battery when you hear consecutive beeps repeated in moderate intervals, as follows:

Three alternate beeps indicate that the battery is running low
Four beeps in a descending tone indicate that the battery is running out completely

Another sign that the battery is running low is that Bluetooth will turn off and you will lose connection to your phone or other wireless accessories.

NOTE: If your hearing care professional turned on the optional LED indicator when programming your Sentio 1 Mini, this tiny light will blink orange repeatedly to notify you when your battery is running low.

Secure Your Sentio 1 Mini Processor

Since travelers tend to engage in more physical activities than usual, it is a good idea to attach a safety line to your Sentio 1 Mini processor. This reduces the risk of the processor being knocked off and damaged or lost. To attach the safety line, watch this helpful how-to video and follow these steps:

Pass the loop of the safety line through the attachment hole in the battery lid
Pass the loop through the attachment hole in the sound processor
Insert the sound processor through the loop of the safety line and tighten
Attach the safety line clip to your clothing

TIP: Make sure you don’t pull or tug on the safety line, as this could disconnect the processor.

In Case of Emergency

While of course we hope this situation never arises, medical emergencies sometimes happen during vacation travel. In the spirit of preparedness, we suggest you download and bring the MRI Security Card for the Sentio System. Fold it and keep it in your wallet, and/or make sure someone traveling with you knows where it is. You can also store the URL in your phone: MRI Security Card for Sentio System

We hope you found this information useful! If you ever have any questions or concerns about the care and maintenance of your Sentio System, please contact us at 888.277.8014 or [email protected].

Meet Allison: Audiologist and Sentio System Wearer

Allison Lenear, AuD, lost her hearing due to repeated ear drum perforations. After multiple ear infections rendered her hearing aid for one ear ineffective, she decided to try Oticon Medical’s Sentio™ System. Here she shares her experience from the unique perspective as both a hearing care professional and a patient.

Early Experience with Hearing Loss Led to Early Advocacy

My hearing loss is the result of chronic ear drum perforations left after many Pressure Equalization (PE) tube placements. At the age of 15, after four failed tympanoplasties (two on each side), I was fitted with binaural hearing aids by my audiologist. He asked, “Aren’t you tired at the end of the day?” which I thought was just a teenager thing!

My hearing aids helped me hear and understand better in class, be more confident when working my afterschool job, and improved my ability to hear whispers backstage as a stage manager in my high school’s theater department. It was at that time I decided I wanted to be the person to help other people in my position accept their hearing loss and feel confident advocating for themselves. When classmates or strangers asked, “What are those things behind your ears?” I was never offended or embarrassed; it was an excellent way to start educating people around me that hearing aids are not only for older adults.

Accepting the Need to Move Beyond Traditional Hearing Aids

I graduated with my Doctor of Audiology degree from the University of Louisville in 2017 and started working as an audiologist at ENT of Athens, where I’d completed my fourth-year externship the previous year. I hadn’t had many ear infections as an adult, meaning there was no issue with traditional amplification. However, within the past two years, I started developing frequent bacterial and fungal infections, especially in the left ear. I wasn’t able to wear my hearing aid in that ear while being treated for the infection, making it difficult to hear and understand my patients. Each time I had an infection, it meant going about two weeks unaided on the affected side. It increased my stress, made the strain to hear and understand more difficult, and made me start avoiding things I love to do because it was so exhausting having to strain to hear. Because of this, I started thinking about a bone anchored solution.

Over the years, I’ve tried pretty much any new hearing aid that came out from all six major manufacturers but always ended up coming back to Oticon. I knew that for any sort of bone anchored device, especially when choosing to surgically implant it, I wanted the incredible sound quality, dependability, and reliability that I had come to rely on. So, when the Sentio™ System received FDA approval in the US, I knew I wanted to make the leap. It took some time to get it approved through the hospital, but on July 3, 2025, I became the first recipient in Athens, GA to receive the Sentio, courtesy of my physician and friend, Dr. Jacline Phillips.

My only concern before surgery was that I would be the first transcutaneous bone anchored hearing system recipient in the facility I had the surgery in! I was confident in my surgeon, who had performed many bone anchored hearing surgeries (percutaneous and other manufacturers’ transcutaneous devices), but the surgical team in the operating room was unfamiliar with them. Luckily, between Dr. Phillips and our Oticon Medical Territory Manager, Dr. Dianna Tingle, everything went off without a hitch.

Undergoing the Sentio Procedure and Processor Fitting

Dr. Phillips mentioned how much easier the Sentio was to implant versus competitors’ products. My incision was much smaller than I anticipated and lined up almost exactly with where my current tympanoplasty scars were located (behind my ear).

Recovery was extremely easy. I had surgery on Thursday and went back to work on Monday. Would I recommend that for everyone? Absolutely not! The only unforeseen issue was that I wear glasses and do not have contacts. So, when I wore my headset to perform hearing evaluations, the arm of my glasses pressed against my beautifully stitched incision and caused some discomfort. I was able to utilize the free accessory included with the Sentio, the EduMic, and connect it to my hearing aid on the right side to be able to hear patients while they were in the test booth, which eliminated pressure from the headset. I continued using that system for about a week after my stitches were removed. Since that time, I have had no pain or discomfort around the surgical site—it is almost like it never happened.

The two weeks leading up to my surgery, I had a fungal infection in the left ear and was unable to wear my hearing aid. I patiently waited two-and-a-half weeks before fitting the Sentio 1 Mini processor [Note: see video snippet below taken during Allison’s fitting session]. Since I was the first to receive a Sentio in our practice, Dr. Phillips, my colleagues, the office manager, and even Dianna came for the fitting. My colleague, who I consider “my” audiologist, was out of the country for vacation and FaceTime’d into the appointment as well!

Feeling Confident with the Sentio 1 Mini

Not having worn any type of amplification for the two weeks leading up to surgery (and more than two weeks after), it was really emotional and an enormous relief to be able to hear from my left side again. Initially, the sound quality was a little different with just my Sentio on, but when I put my right hearing aid in (a pink Oticon REAL™ 1 miniRITE-T with sparkly, swirly ear mold, of course), the sound quality was essentially exactly what I was used to with binaural air conduction amplification. I was able to localize sounds and hear again!

The day after my fitting, I went on a walk with a friend, who is an audiologist, and her linguist husband through our neighborhood. She and I were walking side by side and when I realized that, even though her husband was walking behind us, I could still hear and understand what he was saying… it was unbelievable. I was also able to hear cars and bikes coming from behind, which had been a safety concern of mine in the past when walking alone. Sentio has given me the freedom and the confidence to feel safe walking alone outside. It is absolutely lifechanging.

I love Made for iPhone® (MFi) streaming! I do miss binaural streaming, which isn’t a possibility as far as I am aware, since I am wearing two different devices now (Sentio plus hearing aid). If I need/want binaural streaming, I switch to my headphones, no biggie.

I used to be so worried about infections and making sure my left ear was dry, on top of being annoyed at having something in the left ear. So, most of the time, I would take my hearing aids out when I got home from work. My sweet husband never complained, even if I was complaining that I couldn’t hear due to taking out my own hearing aids, ha-ha! Now, when I am home, the Sentio 1 Mini processor stays on and the hearing aid in my right ear doesn’t bother me, so I am more present and need him to repeat things much less frequently.

My colleagues, after having to deal with me for a solid month of infection and healing, were incredibly relieved when I was fit. An unintended benefit, since I am more aware, is that I am much less jumpy/startled less often by people outside my peripheral vision or behind me. One of my other physicians used to think it was a fun game to sneak up behind me and surprise me—but no more, Dr. Mixson! You have been defeated by the incredible Sentio technology!

I have been pleasantly surprised by how well the processor stays firmly magnetized during walks outside in the southern heat, during Pilates, and in yoga—even when I am in crazy positions! I have only heard feedback once when in a yoga position where my arm was tucked right by my processor, but my friend next to me said she didn’t hear it at all.

I used to have a lot of anxiety and stress due to my frustration over being historically unable to understand speech in certain environments. In the short time we have been together, the Sentio System has been amazing. It makes me feel confident in those situations: being able to hear from which direction traffic noise is coming, my friends walking behind me, and in crowded restaurants—it has brought me a lot of peace. If I start to spiral at particular recommendations for Happy Hour, I must remind myself that I might not have been to that particular restaurant since I activated my Sentio, and so maybe I will do better this time. About 99 percent of the time, I am correct (some places just have terrible acoustics)!

Because the sound quality is quite different from my hearing aid, I used my audiology knowledge and figured out that, similar to cochlear implants, there may be some listening practice involved. Over a few weekends, when at home with my husband, I wore just my Sentio to let my brain adjust to the new sound. Since sound is being transmitted differently than I have experienced in the past, it’s just different! I waited two weeks after my initial fitting before making any adjustments to the settings, which is the same timeframe I request my hearing aid patients wait while trying to adjust to new sound. It has been one month (as of this writing) since my fitting and unsurprisingly, things now sound completely normal. Amazing what can happen when you follow your own advice!

NOTE: Since providing us with this user story, Dr. Lenear has joined Oticon Medical as a Clinical Specialist for New England.

Chicago Advocates Meeting 2025

A Special Weekend with Experienced and New User Advocates

On June 7-8, 2025 in Chicago, IL, Oticon Medical held a meeting for new bone anchored hearing system (BAHS) advocates–which, along with Ponto™ wearers, included Sentio™ wearers interested in joining our advocacy program for the first time

Attending staff included representatives from Marketing, Customer Service, Insurance Support Services, and Auditory Technical Support Services (ATS), along with one of our US territory managers and our Vice-President of Global Sales and Marketing. We were joined by Canada’s Senior Client Services and Administrative Specialist, as one of our new Ponto advocates is a Canadian citizen.

Seasoned advocate-Ambassadors Angela Sabal, Melissa Tumblin, and Katelyn Harkins joined us to provide additional coaching and support as the new advocates learned what it takes to be an advocate, including in-depth explorations of our products and technology.

The very full agenda covered the following topics:

Welcome and Company Overview
Audiology Insights: Ponto 5 Family and Sentio 1 Mini
Ponto and Sentio Procedures: Understanding the Differences
Clinical Data and Supporting Studies
Overview of Customer Service and ATS
Overview of Insurance Services Process
Taking Advocacy to the Next Level: Social Media, Meetups, Phone Support, and Testimonials

We also conducted a fun Jeopardy-style game with categories related to the topics covered above. Additionally, throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday, we recorded nine new user stories—five with Sentio users, three with Ponto 5 users, and one including a pre-teen Ponto and a teen Sentio wearer together. All will be released once they are ready through our YouTube channel and elsewhere, so stay tuned!

After the educational portion of the day was finished, we took everyone into downtown Chicago for a little free time to explore.

This was followed by a deep-dish pizza dinner and speedboat ride, which included watching a spectacular fireworks display over Lake Michigan.

A Heartfelt Thanks from Our Event Organizer

Our Events and Advocacy Manager for the US and Canada, Brendalys Trinidad, sent the following thank you to our attendees after the event. Her eloquent tribute effectively sums up the feelings of all OM employees privileged to have participated in this very special weekend.

I must confess, usually after an event, I immediately send all attendees a follow-up email. This time, it took me longer. I will be super honest with you—I just couldn’t find the right thing to say. It felt like anything I wrote just was not good enough!

I can’t express how honored I feel to have met YOU! I’m just so lucky to have the opportunity to meet such amazing people and be a little tiny part of your journey in life. I absolutely love my job and the experiences it brings me.

Personally, seeing how social Ally has become, it makes me wonder how many more sounds she’s able to hear now that she’s been implanted [with the Sentio System]. Direct sound really makes a difference. It has been amazing to witness how many people Melissa and Angela have reached with their advocacy.

What incredible stories we heard about Sarah (Angela’s daughter) and my dearest friend, adorable Isla. By the simple act of love, their lives have taken an astonishing turn and opened so many more opportunities ahead.

It’s inspiring to learn how Wayne didn’t give up living in a world without sounds, and to know how much he loves hearing his kids and grandkids, and his beautiful bride, June!

How wonderful it was seeing how supportive the Jennison and McClellan families are with their kids, super-sweet Jamison and Danica.

Our dear Yvonne—age didn’t slow her down when it came to choosing what was best for her.

Loved meeting young Alex, a cool, handsome musician living life to the fullest.

Learning how brave and powerful Arcella has become—she’s living her best life! Meeting the beautiful and successful Madi, who didn’t just settle for her old hearing device. Getting to know an amazing leader and advocate, Emily. It was refreshing to see young, compassionate, and dedicated Karina, who has chosen a career caring for others with hearing loss. And of course there was Pamela, shining her shiniest!

All of you provide reassurance that cute baby Paxton will be able to become anything he wants to—no limits.

Thanks to the love and advocacy of his parents, Paxton will do amazing things!

How can I only say thank you? It’s just not enough.

I hope you all left the weekend feeling inspired and hopeful that, together, we can continue to grow our community and open up the world of sounds to many more people!

On behalf of Oticon Medical and myself, we are committed to supporting you as a wearer of our technology. We look forward to supporting your advocacy and finding ways to educate others about solutions like the Ponto and Sentio Systems.

Our entire Oticon Medical family thanks everyone who helped make our latest New Advocates Weekend such a success! Remember: Our stories connect us!

Want to learn more about becoming an Oticon Medical hearing advocate? Please contact Brendalys directly at [email protected].

My Sentio Story | Lee Rothman

Lee Rothman used to wear a regular hearing aid. However, after he lost most of his hearing in one ear due to Covid-19, it no longer did the job. After looking into alternatives, Lee discovered the new Sentio™ System and learned how this bone conduction treatment could improve his hearing. The following is his story and we thank him for allowing us to share it!

My hearing loss began with an episode that was diagnosed as Meniere’s Disease back in 2013. It caused a loss of the frequencies above 2000hz. Over a period of several years, I had an intermittent loss of my hearing in my right ear that would typically return to some degree (minus the higher frequencies) after less than a week. I lived with that loss until I retired and moved to Idaho.

I had a hearing exam there where they informed me a quality hearing aid could restore that loss of the higher frequencies I was missing. I was an audiophile for nearly 50 years and a musician since the age of 10 with perfect pitch. So, I was fitted with a hearing aid. I was astounded by the higher frequencies I was then able to hear again that I’d missed for so long.

In October of 2023 I had another episode of hearing loss, which was accompanied by severe vertigo that landed me in the hospital. I’d used some antibiotic ear drops that apparently triggered the vertigo. It passed quickly and two days later my hearing returned—of course minus the higher frequencies.

Fast-forward to April of 2024. I had Covid for the fourth time in four years and it was asymptomatic. But once again in June of 2024, I got it again, which was noted by two days of headaches. I then experienced nearly complete hearing loss.

I went to a specialist nearby and he put me on the usual steroid dosage recommended for such events. It did nothing and my hearing loss continued. It was terrible, as I couldn’t hear the TV or my wife well with just the one ear. Having just one operative ear, it became obvious the handicaps it brings. My guitar sounded weak. I could no longer listen to music in my recording studio with headphones or speakers and hear the right channel. I was devastated.

I was referred to Dr. Wilkinson, a specialist in this area of hearing loss. He began with some steroid injections. After the second dose, we felt it wasn’t going to work. He gave me some brochures he’d just received from Oticon Medical regarding a new, FDA-approved type of bone conduction implant that was the next-generation of Ponto™ technologies. I examined it and did a lot of online research into it.

My regular doctor, who I discussed this with as well, happened to own a recently purchased pair of bone conduction stereo headphones. He let me try them and I was shocked that I could hear music in my right ear again. So, my next appointment with Dr. Wilkinson, I said I’d like to move forward with the Sentio offering. He got me on a waiting list, as the nearby hospital was awaiting their approval for the procedure to be done there.

I previously used a traditional hearing aid, mostly to add the lost higher frequencies back into my right ear. The sensorineural hearing loss I had after a Covid attack took a lot more than just the higher frequencies from my hearing. It not only took down the level of what I could hear, but virtually everything above 800hz was gone altogether.

I had no real concerns about the surgery. I’d watched a sample surgery done on YouTube and it looked very simple and straightforward. It went as expected. Quick and painless. Recovery went exactly as stated—three weeks until the application of the external processer and adjustments were made.

I immediately noticed I could hear higher frequencies, far beyond even my good ear. Literally air movement of a heating fan. The audiologist moved away from me speaking all the way to the other end of the room and I heard every word he spoke easily, even with my good ear plugged.

I don’t notice vast differences between the various modes really. I had the audiologist make an adjustment to the Music setting, so when I played my guitar, I didn’t get an annoying warble kind of character when a string was plucked. I was told it was from a noise reduction algorithm that needed to be turned off in the software he set up.

I tested out the Sentio on a high-end music system and noted that I now do hear the full right channel music information that was not there before. At times, I suppose my brain can fool me into thinking it’s hearing a distinct right channel and not just the information being sent to my good left ear alone. I suspect, in time, my brain may get used to it and I won’t feel like my right-side information isn’t actually there on my right side.

Bluetooth® streaming was too low, so the audiologist turned it up with the ConnectClip and then it was very good indeed. I can now hold my cellphone to my right ear area and have a perfect conversation without issues. The clarity is all there. I no longer struggle to hear the TV, as it now picks up the right speaker info, so I can still hear it from a distance. Conversations are a piece of cake.

You may find it funny but when I use the ConnectClip and place it on a table in front of the stereo TV’s external speaker system, I can blend a little bit of the speaker system output with streaming and get flawless clarity mixed with the nice, rich sound of the speakers. I even noted a bit of a 3-D effect, hearing things in a phantom center channel. Pretty interesting and very enjoyable.

The size is simply superb and you can’t ask for more. I don’t even notice it. So far nobody else has either. It weighs virtually nothing and I don’t even know that it’s physically there. I pay no attention to the fact that the Sentio is on me and so far nobody even notices it. When I point it out to folks, they think it is so cool—had no idea it existed.

When I’m in my office at work or having a meeting online, it works flawlessly. I have shaken my head repeatedly and it doesn’t move at all. While I visit a local restaurant, I hear the TV, conversation, and more. It’s great. It is as close to normal hearing as one can imagine. Unlike a typical hearing aid, you literally forget it’s there and it becomes a part of you and how you function. When you remove the Sentio processor, it becomes so much more obvious how vast a change it makes in your hearing quality.

Wondering whether a bone anchored hearing system in general or the Sentio System specifically might be the right choice to treat your hearing loss? Use these helpful resources, provided courtesy of Oticon Medical:

BAHS Journey: https://bahsjourney.com/candidate/
The Sentio System: https://sentio.oticonmedical.com/us

Meet Today’s Oticon Medical | Henrietta Arocho

This series of posts introduces you to our current roster of Oticon Medical employees in the United States. As you know, we’ve been through a lot of changes over the past few years. We are pleased that so many wonderful new people have joined our team of dedicated employees!

Henrietta Arocho, Senior Customer Service Operations Manager

Please join us in welcoming our new Senior Customer Service team manager, Henrietta!

Background

Prior to joining Oticon Medical, Henrietta was in Pharmaceutical Sales for more than 15 years. As the Associate Director of Client Services/Operations, she was the primary contact for customer needs, issue resolution, and service improvement. Her team managed field team launches ranging from 10-500+ representatives, ensuring seamless onboarding, training, and operational support.

Henrietta has a personal connection to hearing health, which drew her to Oticon Medical. A close family member was born with a severe hearing loss, and Henrietta witnessed firsthand the importance of having the necessary device and support to allow her relative to thrive and reach major milestones. She was excited to join Oticon Medical and contribute to our mission of creating hearing solutions designed with users in mind.

Current Responsibilities

In her current role with Oticon Medical, Henrietta manages a team of three representatives, who provide excellent customer service support to our field teams, clinicians, and valued patients. The team’s responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Processing orders
Handling customer returns, exchanges, and repairs
Managing customer/user communication (via phone and email)

Henrietta isn’t afraid of challenges. She once did an evening climb to the summit of Mt. Fuji, which required hiking through the night. She did this even though she is not a mountain climber and was not very well prepared for the climb. While it was grueling and exhausting, she was able to finish and witnessed the most beautiful sunrise after reaching the summit. It was a wonderful adventure…but one she says she will never do again!

The members of Oticon Medical’s Customer Service team assist our Ponto™ and Sentio™ wearers and candidates by answering questions, placing and managing orders, and helping them find conveniently located audiology clinics. Customer Service is available to assist you by phone during office hours of Monday-Friday 8:00 am to 7 pm ET. Please feel free to call (888) 277-8014 or you can send them a message anytime via email at [email protected].

Meet Today’s Oticon Medical | Shelby Peeler

Dr. Shelby Peeler, Auditory Technical Support Services

Please join us in welcoming our new Auditory Technical Specialist, Shelby Peeler!

Background

Shelby Peeler, AuD, CCC-A, PASC graduated as a Doctor of Audiology in 2018 from Auburn University. Prior to joining the Oticon Medical team, she practiced as a pediatric audiologist, but also enjoyed working with all ages during her schooling and externship. Her special clinical interests are early intervention, working with oncology patients, tinnitus and hyperacusis, hearing conservation, and of course bone conduction.

Shelby spent five-and-a-half years as a clinical audiologist, including three years at a children’s hospital in South Texas serving a patient population with a high rate of microtia and atresia, which is where her love of working with bone anchored hearing systems (BAHS) was born. She holds a pediatric audiology specialty certification from the American Academy of Audiology.

Shelby’s favorite pastime is going to concerts and music festivals! In the last year she has traveled from her home in Atlanta to Nashville, Baltimore, Chicago, Milwaukee, and even Amsterdam to see some of her favorite artists.

Shelby is a member of the Auditory Technical Specialists (ATS) team at Oticon Medical. The ATS team are dedicated and highly skilled audiologists who assist clinicians and Oticon Medical BAHS wearers and candidates with a broad range of inquiries. They provide numerous services, including:

Programming support
Answers to candidacy questions
Troubleshooting of Ponto™ and Sentio™ Systems and related accessories
Bluetooth® connectivity guidance

The ATS team is responsible for knowing about all things Oticon Medical and enjoys coming up with creative solutions to assist clinicians, patients, and candidates.

Oticon Medical’s Auditory Technical Services team is available to answer patient inquiries during office hours Monday-Friday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm ET. Please feel free to call us at (888) 277-8014 (choose Option 4 when prompted). Or you can send us a message anytime using this convenient ATS Submission form or send an email to [email protected].

Miss Lexi is Thrilled After Getting Minimally Invasive Ponto Surgery

We are grateful to share one of our young hearing advocate’s recent experience after getting minimally invasive Ponto™ surgery (MIPS), so that she could wear her Ponto on an abutment. While eight-year-old Lexi has been wearing her Ponto SuperPower hearing processor on a softband for some time, she’s now getting even more benefit from it after implantation.

According to Lexi’s mother Staci, Lexi is absolutely thrilled with how clearly she hears things now! After dropping off her daughter at school following her appointment when her Ponto was snapped onto her new abutment, she headed to her classroom for a quick show-and-tell of her new setup. She even introduced the class to Massie the Monkey, which was such a special moment.

“It’s incredible,” Staci shared. “I know some people might think it’s not a big change since she has one ‘good’ ear, but the difference is truly life-changing. The sound quality improvement after MIPS has exceeded all our expectations–it’s leaps-and-bounds beyond what we could have hoped for.”

Ponto is not only known for leading technology, but also for groundbreaking implant techniques designed to shorten surgery and healing time. Our procedures are called minimally invasive because they’re designed to avoid the need for stitches and can be performed in minutes under local anesthesia. With minimal impact on your skin, they offer excellent aesthetic outcomes and fast recovery. 98 percent of all users report an increased quality of life after Ponto surgery.¹

And what did Lexi have to say after getting her processor snapped on? “Mommy, I can hear sounds I’ve never heard before!”

Children learn and grow by absorbing everyday input from the world around them—including sounds. If your child has conductive hearing loss, a bone conduction solution that provides access to more sounds can help ensure they don’t miss out. Find out if a Ponto worn on a softband or abutment could be the right solution for your child’s hearing loss. Contact your hearing care professional today, or to find an HCP in your area, please contact Oticon Medical at 888.277.8014 (M-F 8am-7pm ET) or by email anytime at [email protected].

Lagerkvist H, et al. (2020). Ten years of experience with the Ponto bone anchored hearing system – A systematic literature review. Clin Otolaryngol. 45(5):667-680.

The Holidays are for Hearing

With the winter holidays beginning this week, we wanted to re-run this helpful post on how to make sure everyone feels included this season. Enjoy and please share!

Families are gathering. Holidays plans are made. You are heading out on a road trip to see the grandkids. The house is bustling with the sounds of the holidays. Children are laughing, and the dinner conversations are lively. It’s time to join with your family around a festive holiday table to celebrate the season and the start of a new year.

For people with hearing loss, these joyous moments can also bring a host of challenges. A noisy dinner conversation can leave a person with hearing loss feeling tired from the effort they have to spend to understand the message. The dinner table is noisy and voices sound muffled from a distance. Important conversations are missed. These challenges can cause isolation and exhaustion for someone with hearing loss.

Oticon Medical has focused on these challenging situations to present patients with device programming and accessory options that improve communication and quality of life. Our accessories, paired with good communication practices, can positively impact interactions with users of our product portfolio. Here are some communication strategies that we can all practice throughout the holidays that will help make communication easier and the season more enjoyable for people with hearing loss.

How to talk to someone with hearing loss

Face the person. Ensure that the person with hearing loss can see everyone’s face. The visual cues will help the person understand the words they didn’t catch.
Minimize background noise. Turn off the TV and reduce the volume of surrounding music or television to make communication easier.
Make sure the room is well-lit. A well-lit environment can make it easier for the person with hearing loss to see facial expressions, body language, and gestures from across a room.
Get their attention first. Get an individual’s attention by saying their name first or gently tapping their arm, and then convey your message to increase the chance that it will be heard and understood.
Speak slowly and clearly. Annunciate your words and take your time.
Rephrase, don’t repeat. If something isn’t heard the first time, try rephrasing it. Instead of repeating the same sentence louder, try saying it a different way.
Don’t speak from another room. Minimizing distance will maximize the chance that your message will be heard and understood.
Speak at a normal volume. Shouting during conservation can distort the signal for the person with hearing loss and so, rather than making it easier for a hard of hearing person to understand you, it often has the opposite effect.

Useful tools for communication success

Oticon Medical’s BrainHearing™ philosophy reminds us that we hear with our brains, not just our ears. Our Ponto™ devices are equipped with special noise reduction options that operate with this philosophy in mind. The Ponto family is compatible with a variety of accessories that have streaming capabilities to help people with hearing loss communicate successfully in difficult listening environments. Let’s look at a few scenarios where Ponto users can use these tools to make communication easier in challenging situations during the holidays.

Road trips

A Ponto 5 Mini user and his wife have loaded up the RV for a holiday road trip to see their grandkids. For these two people, a conversation in the car is challenging because of road noise and the lack of visual cues as they face the road. The Ponto user can use the ConnectClip to give themselves a big advantage in this situation and allow for an enjoyable road trip full of conversation. The Ponto user’s wife can clip the ConnectClip that is paired to her husband’s Ponto 5 Mini to her lapel about 6 inches from her mouth. She presses and holds the multi-function button for a few seconds until the lights turn purple and green. This action sends her voice on a wireless journey direct to her husband’s Ponto 5 Mini, allowing for effortless conversation between the two, reducing background noise, and minimizing the effects of distance on their ability to communicate.

Watching a movie

Oticon Medical’s TV Adapter 3.0 is compatible with the entire Ponto product family. You can pair a TV Adapter to your Ponto 3 SuperPower using your Oticon Medical Streamer or to Ponto 4 or 5 Mini directly. This allows you to stream audio directly from your television to your device. You can use your streamer or the Oticon ON™ app to control the volume of the television while your family continues to listen at a level that’s comfortable for them.

Adjustments from afar

You are having difficulty hearing in noise on your holiday vacation, but it isn’t convenient for you to visit your audiologist for programming in person. What can you do? Ponto 5 Mini users can now use RemoteCare to arrange a quick telehealth appointment with their audiologist. During a scheduled RemoteCare visit, an audiologist can log into a private portal which allows them to make the adjustments that their patient needs. The program changes are uploaded to the patient’s device using Oticon’s RemoteCare app and the new settings can be used by the Ponto 5 Mini user right away. This groundbreaking technology opens a new frontier for Ponto patients.

Family dinner

Oticon Medical has developed OpenSound Navigator™ as a method of noise reduction for those energetic conversations around your holiday dinner table. In this situation, you want to hear the conversation, regardless of its direction. OpenSound Navigator will seamlessly adjust to your environment and reduces the effort it takes to hear. Talk to your audiologist about creating a program in your Ponto 4 or 5 Mini device that utilizes OpenSound Navigator and hear the difference at the holiday dinner table this year. Additionally, you can hand a paired ConnectClip to a relative across the table and their voice can be streamed directly from up to 65 feet away.

Online resources

Oticon Medical is here to support you while you are on the go this holiday season. For product support, videos on how to pair accessories, or in-depth information about the different solutions available to you, visit Wireless Connectivity.

Should you need help from an Oticon Medical audiologist during the holiday season, please contact our Auditory Technical Services support team during the hours of 8 AM and 8 PM, Eastern time at 888-277-8014 or by email at [email protected].

Oticon Medical wishes you and your family a happy and healthy holiday season!

About the Author

Courtney Smith, M.A., CCC-A, is the Clinical Trainer at Oticon Medical, having just joined the team in October of 2021. She practiced audiology in both medical and private practice settings in Las Vegas, NV. She has experience working with hearing aids, cochlear implants, and bone anchored solutions for adults and pediatrics. She completed her training at the University of Iowa in 2003.

Four Tips to Help Your Child Succeed in the Classroom

With the right support, children with hearing loss can still find success in school. Parents play a crucial role in this journey, often serving as their child’s biggest advocate. Whether it be fighting to ensure that their child has access to the necessary resources to achieve success or providing support for the child at home, the role of parents in their children’s academic lives is vital. In a recent discussion involving Dr. Michelle Kraskin (Weill Cornell Medicine’s Director of Audiology), Sammie Levy (an educational specialist), Kimberly Szabo (an educational audiologist), and Laurie Winter (a teacher of the Deaf and hard of hearing), they provided four essential tips regarding steps parents can take to help their child flourish both academically and socially.

Provide copies of your child’s hearing tests to the school.

When asked about how audiologists might help support their patients in educational environments, Kraskin answered, “One of the things we do at our center is provide our patients with copies of their hearing tests that they can provide to the school.” Szabo agreed with this statement, adding that while audiograms are helpful, speech and noise testing is also extremely important, as it “gives a lot of information on how [audiograms] translate into the classroom.”

Providing both tests to the school helps them understand what the baseline is for the child at that moment, rather than having to work with tests from several years ago. Winter re-enforces that while audiograms do give an idea of “the type and degree of hearing loss,” they “don’t tell how that person functions with their hearing.” This is important for teachers and educators to be aware of so they can figure out the student’s educational needs.

Meet with the school to discuss expectations regarding your child’s hearing loss.

Another thing that the experts agreed was beneficial, especially with younger students, was a conference between parents and educators. When it comes to a small child, who is often unable to fully or accurately express themself, parents understand best how they function and how to manage their hearing loss. Parents can also provide insight into the challenges and struggles their child encounters in the classroom.

Levy adds that for older children, “quality of life check-in’s” work, and that even though “the school day is 8:30 to 2:30, we want to support our patients [and empower them to] enjoy extracurricular activities, complete their homework, and engage in dinner conversations,” like their peers.

These conferences give parents an opportunity to discuss concerns with their child’s educators, and create a game plan for their students. Levy mentions that these conferences help educators develop a “school year bucket list of things that they want to accomplish or enhance at the beginning of the school year,” which can be discussed later in the year, to track growth and success.

If your child needs something to succeed, don’t be afraid to ask.

If you know that your child needs something in the classroom to succeed, whether it be an FM system, microphone like the EduMic, or something else, Winter states that it is “very helpful for the educator to have that information” so that they “have something available that is geared specifically to [the child’s] needs.” Winter notes that although this is helpful for educators and kids, she rarely hears about parents sharing this information.

The experts agree with Winter, and Kraskin adds that avoiding “wishy-washy terms, such as may benefit,” is also helpful. Rather, use definitive terms, such as “will benefit,” to avoid any “gray area or interpretation,” which frequently results in the student not getting the proper accommodations they require.

Levy continues by giving the example, “We know that X, Y, and Z would be very beneficial for the student because…” The experts agree that this statement reduces a lot of those “gray areas” that may have been left up to interpretation. This avoids the need to leave things up to the discretion of teachers or administrators, who may be completely unfamiliar with working with hard of hearing students, as well as help break down the “lack of willingness to give all the accommodations.”

Empower yourself with information.

“You don’t know what you don’t know,” Kraskin says. Believing that one of the most important things is empowering the parent with information, Kraskin adds, “A lot of the parents do not know what their rights are, what kind of care and accommodations their child should be receiving, or what the law is.” Whether parents learn from clinicians and audiologists, other families who have already dealt with the same issues, or other trustworthy resources, it is essential that they are aware of what their children are entitled to and how to fight for it.

Winter agrees, stating that from her experience, “parents do not know what their rights are, what’s out there for their children, or what schools can provide.”

Supporting children with hearing loss requires a combination of efforts from parents, educators, and hearing care professionals working together. By keeping these tips in mind, parents can help ensure that they have all the tools and confidence to fully engage in their education and reach their full potential.

Want to learn more? Find the whole discussion on Audiology Online!

Tips and Tricks for Maintaining Your Softband 5

If you or a loved one uses the Softband 5 with a Ponto™ device, here are some handy tips and tricks to make sure you get the most out of your softband experience!

1. Keep It Clean

Regularly inspect and clean the connector plate to keep it free of dust and particles. You can use a soft, dry cloth or lukewarm water with mild detergent for the Softband 5 connector plate.

Regularly inspect and clean the sound processor coupling as well. You can use a soft, dry cloth or a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush to keep the coupling free of dust and particles.

2. Minimize Handling

Keep the sound processor attached to the softband and only remove it when necessary, such as for battery changes.

3. Replace Worn Connector Pads

Check the connector pads regularly and replace them if they appear worn or damaged. The wearing time may vary depending on exercise, environment, and hair and skin characteristics. Make sure to remove the old connector pad completely before attaching a new one.

4. Check Fit and Functionality

Parents or caregivers should always verify that the softband is correctly attached and positioned, and that the sound processor is functioning properly before use. The softband should fit snugly around the head, allowing enough space to slip two fingers between the band and the head.

5. Monitor Elasticity

Replace the softband if it has lost its elasticity to ensure a secure and comfortable fit.

6. Properly Attach Your Processor

When attaching your processor to your Softband 5 connector plate, gently rock the processor back and forth to secure it onto the connector. Avoid pushing or pulling the processor straight on or off.

If you have any questions or need further assistance with your Softband 5, please don’t hesitate to contact your audiology professional or Oticon Medical Auditory Technical Support Services!