It can be confusing for the average person to understand the differences between optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists. However, understanding the key differences can help you to make the ideal decisions for the health of your eyes. Deciding on the right services is important in protect the health of your eyes and protecting your vision. If you are concerned about the health of your eyes, you should contact our experts at Wolcott Optical for more information. Here are a few of the differences between optometrists, opticians, and ophthalmologists.  

Optometrists

An optometrist is an individual that has obtained a Doctor of Optometry degree. These individuals are able to examine your eyes for various vision and health problems. It is critical to ensure that you obtain regular eye exams in order to protect the health of your eyes. Optometrists are also able to prescribe glasses or contact lenses for an individual in order to enhance their vision. These vision correction methods can go a long way toward improving your comfort and quality of life.

The actual scope of the medical care that an optometrist can provide depends on a large part on the specific laws in the state. For example, optometrists are sometimes able to prescribe medications to help protect the eyes and handle diseases of the eyes. It is important to note that most professionals in the optical field are required to regularly have ongoing training and education in order to stay current.

Ophthalmologists

Ophthalmologists are individuals that have obtained a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degree. They specialize in eye and vision care. If you compare an optometrist to a dentist, an ophthalmologist is similar to an oral surgeon. Like an optometrist, they are able to complete eye exams and prescribe contact lenses or eyeglasses. They may also diagnose and treat diseases. One of the major differences is that ophthalmologists are able to perform eye surgery and can almost always prescribe medications to help with the treatment of eye disease. However, it is also important to note that optometrists may work along with ophthalmologists to provide the appropriate treatment before or after eye surgery.  

Opticians

Opticians are often required to be licensed, depending on the laws of the state. These individuals don’t perform eye exams or prescribe eyeglasses, but they still provide a vital role in the optical field. Opticians generally use the prescriptions from your optometrist or ophthalmologist in order to fit and sell eyeglasses or contact lenses. By ensuring that you work with a professional, you provide the best possible protection for your eyes and vision. Opticians are skilled professionals that help you to obtain the vision correction method to improve your life. Our skilled employees at Wolcott Optical can help you to identify the best solution to meet all of your specific needs.  

How to Choose

When you require optical services, it is important to understand these differences. This will allow you to make the best decision to improve your vision and protect the health of your eyes. You will want to take several things under consideration when you make this decision. For one thing, you should consider the health of your eyes. If you have a special condition, you may want to ensure that you see someone that is experienced specifically in treating that condition. This will go a long way toward eliminating issues and protecting the health of your eyes. You will also want to learn about what your insurance covers. This will help you to make the best financial decision for your particular situation. If you don’t have vision insurance, you will want to consider the prices that differ between optical professionals.

Visit Us

At Wolcott Optical, our experienced team is passionate about providing you with the various services that are necessary in improving your vision and correcting your optical health. Our team of eye care professionals can help to ensure that your prescription is filled according to your satisfaction. To learn more about the differences between opticians, optometrists, and ophthalmologists, contact us at Wolcott Optical today!

When you need to wear glasses, it can be difficult to know what to do when you play sports. On one hand, you likely need to be able to see to perform well in sports. However, glasses can also be dangerous for you and others on the field. It is important to understand the various aspects of sports and glasses so that you can make the best decision to meet all of your requirements. Consulting with your optometrist, like our experts here at Wolcott Optical, can help to minimize problems and ensure that you can find the perfect solution for your sport-related needs.

Contact Sports

There are some sports that it may be okay to wear glasses while playing. Contact sports, unfortunately, do not make the cut. Contact sports, such as soccer, hockey, rugby, and football should not be played while wearing glasses. These contact sports ultimately provide far too many opportunities for your eyeglasses to break. It may be more beneficial to use contact lenses when you play contact sports. This can help to reduce the likelihood of substantial issues and protect the health of your eyes while on the field.

Non-Contact Sports

You may be able to wear glasses while playing certain non-contact sports. This is often because the glasses are likely able to stay on. These sports also minimize the likelihood of your glasses breaking. Some sports that are often okay to wear glasses while playing include cycling, golf, and tennis. It is important to keep in mind that while a sport may not necessarily involve contact, your glasses can still fall off and become broken. Glasses are expensive to replace, so it is important to take the appropriate care of your eyeglasses. Consulting with our professional team can help you to make the best decisions for your glasses.

Dangerous for you and Others

Wearing glasses while playing contact sports can be dangerous for both yourself and others. For example, your glasses can break while you are wearing them. This can cause substantial damage to your eyes. In addition, the broken glass can impact other people, as well. Your teammates or people on the other team can become injured when your glasses break while playing sports. Due to the danger for both yourself and others, it is important to carefully consider your vision correction method to protect your health.

Sports Specific Glasses

It may be beneficial to obtain sports specific glasses to meet all of your needs when playing sports. When it comes to sports and glasses, your everyday pair of glasses may just not cut it. When you choose a pair of glasses for your sports, you will likely want to ensure that you obtain a different style of frames in order to keep the glasses more firmly in place. This can help to prevent them from falling off and becoming damaged while you are playing sports.

In addition, it is important to ensure that your sports specific glasses have lenses that are made of strong glass that will help to hold up to damage. This can prevent them from breaking. It is crucial to ensure that you obtain durable glasses for your sport use. This can minimize damage and prevent you from having to pay to replace them regularly. You may also be able to obtain certain accessories to help keep the glasses fixed more firmly to your face.

Contact Lenses

Contact lenses are often a much better option to correct your vision while you are playing sports. This is especially applicable to contact sports because glasses can cause damage to your eyes. However, it is also important to avoid wearing contact lenses when you are participating in water sports. Water may contain bacterial agents that can cause damage to your vision. Some of these agents can even result in blindness. When you play water sports, you need to consider different alternatives for vision correction to help prevent damage to your eyes.

Watersports

You should use different vision corrective methods during watersports than sports in general. Avoid the use of contact lenses to prevent bacterial agents from becoming trapped beneath the surface of the lens. This can result in severe issues with your eyes. Glasses or prescription goggles may be better alternatives during watersports. You can use specific attachments or accessories with your glasses. This can help to ensure that they stay on during your sports participation. Some of these accessories can also help to ensure that your glasses will float if they happen to fall in the water. This can help to prevent them from becoming lost while you are participating in the sports you love. These accessories are often much more cost-effective than replacing your glasses if they become lost.

When it comes to sports and glasses, it is important to ensure that you take the steps to protect your vision while optimizing your performance. Because every situation is somewhat different, you should consult with our optical professionals to identify the best solution for your specific needs. This can go a long way toward ensuring that you obtain the vision correction method that will meet the requirements for participating in your favorite sports. To learn more about sports and glasses, as well as how to protect your eyesight, contact our professional team at Wolcott Optical today!

When you have to regularly wear eyeglasses, it will be important to ensure that you choose a pair of glasses that make you feel confident when you wear them. It can be difficult to choose the right glasses to compliment your specific face shape. This is even more complicated when you consider all of the options that you have available! Choosing glasses to compliment your face shape can go a long way toward ensuring that you are happy and confident in the glasses that you wear on a daily basis. This will improve the likelihood of you being happy whenever you wear the glasses that you need to help you see. When you have glasses that don’t increase your confidence, you will never want to wear them. Choosing glasses to compliment your face shape will go a long way toward preventing this from becoming an issue.  

Square Face Shapes

There are multiple great options for individuals that have square face shapes. These face shapes tend to express prominent features, such as a wide forehead and strong jawline. Thin, round frames are often a great option for those with a square shape face. The rounded curves of these frames can help to soften features, as well as add dimension and contrast to the more prominent features of the square face shape. Mirrored cat-eye frames are another great option for individuals with square face shapes. The shape of these frames helps to provide a curved effect that complements the stronger angles of the facial features.

Round Face Shapes

Round face shapes tend to exhibit much softer features than those that are present in square face shapes. Due to this, square frames can be a great solution for an individual with a rounder face shape. These angular frames help to sharpen the softer features that are commonly found in round face shapes. Retro cat-eye frames are another great option for round face shapes, especially when the frames have thicker rims. This shape helps to complement the softness of round faces with the use of strong geometric angles.

Heart Face Shapes

Heart face shapes tend to be broader at the top and narrow at the bottom. Individuals with heart shaped faces tend to have beautiful cheekbones and a sharp taper down to the chin. Rectangular frames can be a great option for this face shape, because it helps to show off the high, prominent cheekbones. Cat-eye frames are other excellent options. The sweeping curve of cat-eye frames helps to highlight the cheekbones while simultaneously balancing out the rest of the face.

Oval Face Shapes

Most experts agree that individuals with oval face shapes are fortunate, because they are particularly well-suited to many different types of frames. They tend to have very balanced features that enable them to wear different styles without putting unnecessary emphasis on any particular feature. A thin, rounded frame is an excellent option for individuals with oval face shapes. These round frames with a minimal thickness help to bring features to the forefront, rather than hiding them. The balanced proportions of oval face shapes make virtually any type of glasses look amazing.

Triangle Face Shapes

Triangle face shapes tend to be wider on the bottom and more narrow across the top. Due to this, glasses that have detailing on the upper portion are often the ideal solution for triangle face shapes. This top-heavy detailing helps to balance out a face that may have more body-heavy proportions. Choosing glasses to match specifically with your face shape can go a long way toward improving the final appearance and outcome that you desire.

At Wolcott Optical, we have a particularly large selection of glasses to meet your specific needs. We offer an array of frames to ensure that you can find the perfect fit for you. Understanding how to choose the ideal pair of glasses for your face shape can go a long way toward ensuring that you choose the ideal glasses to meet your needs. No matter what face shape you have, we are certain to have a pair of glasses that will fit you perfectly. Our experts can help you to identify the best fitting pair of glasses that you will be proud to wear. We also offer many other services, including routine eye exams, contacts, and sunglasses. To learn more about choosing the best pair of glasses for your face shape, contact our experienced team at Wolcott Optical today!