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| Opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists all provide eye care services. The following descriptions may aid you in selecting the eye care professional to meet your personal needs. OPTICIAN An optician makes, verifies and delivers lenses, frames and other specially fabricated optical devices and/or contact lenses upon prescription (from an optometrist or ophthalmologist) to the intended wearer. The optician's functions include prescription analysis and interpretation; determination of the lens forms best suited to the wearers needs; the preparation and delivery of work orders for the grinding of lenses and the fabrication of eye wear, the verification of the finished ophthalmic products; and the adjustment, replacement, repair and reproduction of previously prepared ophthalmic lenses, frames and other specially fabricated ophthalmic devices. OPTOMETRIST / OPTOMETRIC PHYSICIAN An optometrist is the doctor of choice for routine eye health and vision examinations. Doctors of optometry -- optometric physicians -- are independent primary health care providers who specialize in the examination, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases and disorders of the eye and associated structures as well as the diagnosis of related systemic conditions. They fit and dispense glasses and contact lenses, thus providing total eye health and vision care for all ages. Optometric physicians do not perform surgery. OPHTHALMOLOGIST An ophthalmologist has the degree Doctor of Ophthalmology (M.D.) and is a primary and secondary, medical/surgical eye care provider treating diseases of the eye. Ophthalmologists may also perform intricate surgical procedures including cataracts removal and lens implant, corneal transplant, glaucoma surgery and various laser procedures. |
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