Infant Ear Molding

Infant ear molding is performed by applying a silastic mold to an infants ear before 3 weeks of age to change the shape of the ear. It is pain free and permanent. The molds are applied before 3 weeks of age for a total of 4 weeks. It is key to apply the molds early to allow the ear to gain the new shape prior to the cartilage becoming firm.

Who is a Good Candidate for this Procedure?

An infant may be a good candidate for this procedure if:

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The child is born with an abnormally shaped ear.

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The child is ideally 1 week to 6 weeks old, but prior to 12 weeks

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The child's ear does not show signs of improvement after a week

Considering Infant Ear Molding

Within the first 6 weeks of birth, an infant’s ears are soft and respond to molding extremely well. Post 6 weeks, the ears become harder to reshape and may require further intervention.

Many insurances can cover this procedure.

Your Personal Consultation

The infant should be examined a week after birth to determine if the abnormality will correct itself. If the shape of the ear does not improve in this time, non-surgical infant ear molding will be recommended.

What to Expect During the Procedure?

The procedure uses plastic ear molding devices and orthodontic molding materials to reshape the ear. Your child will be fit with a non-surgical molding appliance and this takes about 90 minutes per ear. They will wear this device for at least two weeks.

This procedure is painless.

Post Procedure Actions

After two weeks, the doctor will examine the ear. If the ear is not corrected, then another molding device will be applied. This process will repeat until the ear had molded to a desired shape.