Frequently Asked Questions

WILL I FEEL MY CONTACT LENSES?

Most patients should not be able to feel contact lenses in their eyes if they are wearing the lenses as prescribed and caring for them properly. If worn improperly, you may experience discomfort, impaired vision or irritation. A very small percentage of patients unfortunately never adapt to having contact lenses in their eyes.

WILL I GET DRY EYES WITH CONTACTS?

Some dryness after a whole day of contact lens wear is certainly not unusual, especially during the winter months. To avoid getting dry eyes, your optometrist may recommend drinking at least six to eight glasses of water a day, blinking regularly or using re-wetting drops. If you often suffer from dry eyes, your optometrist may be able to prescribe you with lenses that are designed to retain moisture.

CAN CONTACT LENSES GET BEHIND MY EYES?

It is not possible for a contact lens to get behind your eye, due to the anatomy of the eye and the tissues around it.

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS OF CONTACT LENSES?

Generally, those who wear contact lenses will not experience any adverse effects when properly cared for. Some symptoms you may encounter can include minor irritations and sensitivity to light. Some minor irritations can include watering, redness, itchiness and burning. There is always a small risk of infection with contact lens wear which increases with certain behaviours, such as wearing contacts while swimming or sleeping in them. A contact lens wearer should immediately contact us if they experience any redness or pain in their eyes.

HOW OLD DO I HAVE TO BE FOR AN EYE EXAM?

Eye exams are available for those of all ages. They are OHIP covered for children from age 0-19 and seniors who are 65+. Adults between 20-64 are not OHIP covered but will often have eye coverage through their private insurance.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE AN EYE EXAM?

Most eye care professionals suggest that you have an eye exam performed every 1-2 years. This can depend on your age, risk factors, and whether or not you have a prescription for glasses or contacts. To determine how often you should be having your eyes examined, speak with your optometrist.

WHAT IS REFRACTIVE SURGERY?

Refractive surgery is a form of laser surgery, used to improve the uncorrected quality of your eyesight. It is one of the most well-known uses of lasers in vision care. Refractive surgery procedures include LASIK, Wavefront-guided LASIK, and PRK.

WHAT IS THE RECOVERY LIKE AFTER REFRACTIVE SURGERY?

The recovery is generally quick but can span from two days to two weeks, depending on the individual patient’s healing process and the kind of procedure they had.

WHAT DO MY BENEFITS COVER?

Unfortunately, we have no way of knowing what is included in your benefits package. Speak with your insurance provider for more information.

CAN YOU BILL DIRECTLY TO MY INSURANCE COMPANY?

Yes, we can bill directly to most insurance companies.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD YOU HAVE AN EYE EXAM?

Ideally, you should have an eye exam annually. Depending on your health, you may need to schedule more than one eye exam per year. Speak with your optometrist for more information.

WHAT DOES OHIP COVER?

OHIP covers yearly eye exams only for adults age 65 and over and for children up to age 19. OHIP does not cover retinal scans or contact lens assessments.

WHEN SHOULD MY CHILD HAVE THEIR FIRST EYE EXAM?

As early as 6 months old.

DO YOU HAVE RETINAL IMAGING?

Yes, we do. We have an OPTOS or Optomap Retinal Exam.

DO YOU HAVE A VISUAL FIELD MACHINE?

Humphrey Visual Field.

DO YOU HAVE AN OCT (OPTICAL COHERENCE TOMOGRAPHY) MACHINE?

Yes.

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TRANSITIONS TO CHANGE?

Transitions lenses will start fading back to clear as soon as UV is no longer present. The level of darkness depends on the amount of UV light present, time of day and direction of the sun. Typically transitions take about five minutes to become completely clear. This does change in the winter months, with the colder weather transitions fade times take a bit longer.

DO TRANSITIONS GO DARK IN THE CAR?

The most commonly used transition lens does not remain dark in the car. There is a UV barrier on windshields that counter- act the Transition coating. However, there are two other types of transitions that darken in the car and polarize as they transition. Transitions Xtractive can darken in the car but they do have a 10% residual tint when indoors. Similarly, Transition Vantage polarizes as it darkens, also with a 10% residual tint indoors.

HOW DO I CLEAN MY GLASSES?

What most people don’t tell you is that using your cloth with the solution is not the best way to clean your lenses, especially with an antireflective coating. The secret is taking the solution off the lenses with something that will absorb it e.g. soft paper towel or even Kleenex. Once the solution is removed you then can go in with your lens cloth to polish the dry lens.

WHAT IS A POLARIZED LENS?

A polarized lens is a specialized lens that acts as a filter to help reduce glare off of reflective surfaces, such as water, snow and glass.

DO I HAVE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO LOOK AT GLASSES?

As part of our COVID protocols appointments are needed for anyone entering our clinic for any reason. This includes picking out glasses or getting current glasses adjusted or repaired.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF AN ANTI-REFLECTION COATING?

Anti-reflection coatings are similar to polarized lenses in that they help reduce glare off surfaces, like computers and digital devices, as well as headlights on cars. You will also find an anti-reflection coating will have fewer reflections off the surface of the lens so friends and family can see your eyes in your frame.

WHAT IS THE WARRANTY ON GLASSES AND RETURN POLICY?

Your glasses have a one year guaranteed from the date of purchase on frames and lenses.

Frames

Frames are warrantied against manufacturer’s defects. If your frame breaks under normal wearing conditions, we will repair it or replace it free.

Lenses

Our lens treatments are the hardest, most durable surface protection available. However, any lens (including glass) can scratch or break. Please follow recommended procedures for care and cleaning. Replacement of plastic lenses purchased with scratch resistant coating is limited to once in a 12-month period. Lens replacement must be the original prescription.

CAN SCRATCHES BE BUFFED OUT?

Unfortunately, scratches cannot be buffed out of lenses without also removing the coatings at the same time.

WHAT IS A PD MEASUREMENT AND IS IT INCLUDED IN THE EYE EXAM?

PD measurement stands for Pupillary Distance; this refers to the distance between your pupils. This is not included in your standard eye exam as it is a measurement taken with the frames you have selected on your face.

WHAT IS THE ADAPTATION TIME FOR PROGRESSIVE LENSES?

Every person is different, and some adapt to progressive lenses faster than others. As a rule of thumb, we recommend our patients allow for two weeks of adaptation period for their progressive lenses. Most people adapt within 2 to 4 days.

CAN I ORDER CLIP-ON’S FOR ANY FRAME?

Most definitely! We offer custom clips for all frames.

DO I HAVE TO LEAVE MY FRAME FOR LENSES TO BE MADE?

No, you do not need to leave your frame with us. We are equipped with the latest technology so we can edge your lenses while you wait.

WHAT ARE COMPUTER LENSES?

At Waterdown Optometric Clinic, we offer many different “task specific” lenses, these include computer lenses. With a similar design as a progressive lens, computer lenses allow for more room for the intermediate prescription that is used when on the computer.