Question
Ponto 3, Ponto 3 Power, or Ponto 3 SuperPower – what should I fit on my pediatric patients?
Answer
Many bone anchored hearing system candidates can benefit from a power or superpower device. Softband and headband users can benefit, as the additional power helps compensate for the attenuation through the skin. Children with single-sided deafness (SSD) can benefit, to compensate for transcranial attenuation, as well as for those who also have up to a mild sensorineural hearing loss in their good ear. Furthermore, children with mixed hearing loss (whose average bone conduction thresholds are greater than 30 dB HL), as well as those with progressive hearing loss, can benefit from Ponto 3 SuperPower. The introduction of Ponto 3 SuperPower is opening up a new paradigm in fitting. For the first time, patients can get the power they need without significantly sacrificing in terms of cosmetics.
In the past, children with average bone conduction thresholds of less than 30 dB HL would be fit with the regular Ponto model. Keep in mind that the regular model does not have any headroom to compensate for even a small progression in the patient's hearing loss. The Ponto 3 Power and SuperPower include the fitting range of the regular model. Additionally, there are significant audiological benefits of Ponto 3 SuperPower in terms of sound quality and headroom, so much so that we usually recommend it when average bone conduction thresholds are 30 dB HL or greater, up to 65 dB HL. The Ponto 3 SuperPower is a single-unit processor that delivers great sound quality and reliability.
A frequent question we receive is whether there is a risk of over amplification with the Ponto 3 SuperPower. The answer is no.
Based upon audiological information, every person using a bone anchored hearing system can benefit from the maximum force output (MFO) of the SuperPower device. The prescribed gain is always based on the hearing loss, not the device. Even with the power provided by Ponto 3 SuperPower, the maximum output possible is still more than 20 dB below that of what we'd expect for conventional hearing aids and well below a typical bone anchored hearing system user's loudness discomfort level (LDL). The patient will experience better sound quality because of a wider dynamic range, more headroom and less distortion in loud environments and in background noise.
Ponto 3 SuperPower features state of the art signal processing thanks to the unique UltraDrive™ technology and the new Inium Sense platform. The Inium Sense feedback shield, FreeFocus directional system, and connectivity options support children as they grow.
With children, audibility is critical for speech and language development. Therefore, the Ponto 3 SuperPower is our device of choice for pediatric bone-anchored fittings.
If you have further questions about Ponto 3, visit www.oticonmedical.com/us or the Oticon Medical Expo on AudiologyOnline.
