Jenks Eye Doctor | Amazing results
Welcome to Insight Eyecare with doctor Kyle Tate, your Jenks eye doctor. Today we are talking about “Why does a contact lens prescription differ from a glasses prescription?” “Why do I have to pay more for contacts?” This question comes to us because lots of patients ask “What is this contact fitting fee?” “What does that entail?” We are going to explain that a little bit more today.
Remember as your Jenks eye doctor, we treat patients of all ages. We do children eye exams, baby eye exams, and adult eye exams. We do everything from basic eye exams, contact lens eye exams, and disease eye exams. Insight Eye care is here to treat things like itchy or watery eyes, dry eyes, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. We are located just off of Creek Turnpike and Highway 75, near the Glenpool IHOP. Located within our clinic is a large glasses gallery with over 1000 eyeglasses to meet all eyeglasses wants and needs. As your Jenks eye doctor we’ve partnered with the finest labs to give you the best vision possible. Remember, our team at Insight Eyecare wants to be your Jenks eye doctor for all your eyecare and eyewear needs.
So the question I get from patients is usually relating to cost and not understanding the benefits. “When I try to pay for this contact lens fitting fee, why can’t you just write me a prescription?” Well, it is more complicated than just writing a prescription.
First of all, glasses are actually less expensive and safer than contact lenses. We will talk about that later today. The second thing you should know, is that contact lenses must be fit to the eye. This is important in order to have comfortable, clear, and safe contacts. Third, we must talk about how contacts are a class 3 medical device. And fourth, we will discuss how the prescription strength actually changes from the average 13 mm distance from your glasses lens to your eye. This change can alter your contact lens prescription. These are some of the things that are included in the contact lens fitting fee, or what some people call the contact lens exam fee.
Why are glasses lenses less expensive and safer than wearing contact lenses? Well, that’s a pretty easy one. A good pair of glasses with a triplex lens material, no glare treatment, and a good quality frame can be anywhere between $300 and up. This price will depend on what kind of frame you choose. Contacts on average can cost as little as $60 for the fitting fee. An annual supply of contacts can start around $200 and goes up depending on what we recommend and prescribe.
Now, we do always prescribe daily contact lenses because they are safer and healthier. When you look at those numbers and consider that you can give up buying a new bottle of contact solution every month or two, or even a new case every three months, the price gets to be about the same as non-daily contact lenses. Your contacts will only last a year; as long as you wear them safely. Your glasses can last for years and years to come, especially, if you take good care of them. So it’s very easy to see that glasses can actually be less expensive.
Now the reason contacts are not as safe as glasses is because they actually rest on the eye and they must be fit to the eye. As you’re Jenks eye doctor, one of the things we’re here for is to put the proper size and curvature contact in the eye and to make sure it fits properly. If the contact is fitting the eye tight you actually feel more comfortable but it does not let enough oxygen to the eye and it will also not let enough of your tears flow around the contact. In that case, it can cause Tight Lens Syndrome and a condition called Claire which stands for Contact Lens Induced Redeye. If both of these conditions are left alone without taking a contact lens out, an environment will be created that supports an infection.
Obviously, infections are dangerous because that’s when you get permanent vision loss, blindness, or risk losing the eye. Since contact lenses must fit the eye to be safe, that’s why they are considered a class 3 medical device. As your Jenks eye doctor, we will fit the contact for your eye so that it’s safe. The reason contact lenses are classified as a class 3 medical device is because they are actually on an area that is at a higher risk of infection. Examples of a class 3 medical device would be a pacemaker, an artificial joint, or something that’s inside the body. By realizing how the FDA classifies contact lenses, will only help you understand the importance of taking care of them. As your Jenks eye doctor, we will make sure your contacts are kept safe on the eyes so that you have healthy eyes for years to come.
The fourth reason why a contact lens prescription differs from a glasses prescription is that the actual strength of the lens changes. As you go from glasses to a lens which is directly on the eye, the average difference is about 13 mm. That change in power can be quite significant! If you’re very nearsighted or farsighted and we used your glasses prescription on your contact lenses then you could have headaches each day, trouble reading, not able to see street signs, cars coming at you, or the leaves on trees. So obviously vision is important.
Everybody you know, from the patient side of things, wants to have comfortable contacts that allow them to see well. As your doctor, we want you to have those things. We want your eyes to be safe and healthy for your entire life. As your Jenks eye doctor, that’s one of the things we do in a contact lens fitting. We determine the right prescription of contact for the eye. Sometimes that can be done with mathematics and physics formulas. Sometimes that has to be done after we actually put a lens on the eye; if we are unable to use a simple formula.
As your Jenks eye doctor, I want you to remember, if you ever need contacts and you’re confused about why there are additional fees, I hope this information will hit home with you. At Insight eyecare our mission is to improve every life at every encounter. That means we want all our patients to have healthy, comfortable eyes, with the best vision possible. We want you to be able to view and enjoy your life. When you think you need a Jenks eye doctor, come to us!
At Insight Eyecare we have an amazing staff who work tirelessly with the most advanced equipment, a state-of-the-art facility, and eyeglasses gallery. Our eyeglasses gallery has thousands of different options available. We designed Insight Eyecare to meet your needs as a patient regardless of age or where you are in life. Insight Eyecare is a place to come and get your eyes checked. As your Jenks eye doctor, remember we treat all types of disease. Everything from common problems like nearsighted and farsightedness to more complex issues like glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, dry eyes, and allergies. We want you to bring us your eye problems. We can help improve your life!
God bless you guys and have a great day!