H. Frank Storey, OD
Robert E Tibolt, MD

Lens Options

LENS MATERIALS

Glass

For years glass was the only lens material available and glass still offers superior optics. Glass is the most scratch-resistant material we use. The main disadvantage of glass is its weight. It is about twice as heavy as hard resin lenses in the same prescription.

Conventional hard resin lenses are roughly half the weight of glass lenses and can be tinted to almost any color and density. These lenses are more easily scratched than glass, but can have an optional scratch protection applied. Also, they are more impact resistant than glass lenses.

These lenses are 10 times stronger than conventional plastic lenses. Also, they are up to 50% lighter and 50% thinner than conventional plastic lenses. In addition they protect the eyes from harmful UV rays. These thinner lenses are a more attractive looking lens.

Polycarbonate lenses are the most impact resistant lenses available and are always the lens of choice for contact sports. Also, they are recommended for certain occupations such as law enforcement or fire fighting. These are a Hi-lndex lens and therefore are lighter and thinner than conventional plastic Icnses. However, they do scratch more easily than conventional plastic lenses. Polycarbonate lenses do protect the eyes from the harmful UV rays.

In the past this has the most popular bifocal form and is available with the bifocal portion made in a variety of widths. Bifocals allow the eye to focus on objects at a distance, or near. such as when reading. Flat top bifocals are made in every type of lens material.

Flat Top Trifocals are the most widely used form of trifocals. The added segment provides clear vision at arm's length when a bifocal cannot. Trifocals are available in every type of lens material.

These lenses provide all the benefits of bifocals and trifocals but add the feature of continuous clear vision at all distances. They have the cosmetic advantage of appearing as having NO bifocal. Varilux Lenses are available in all lens material. These are becoming the lens of choice for bifocal and trifocal wearers.

Many occupations impose demanding visual requirement on those who wear bifocal or trifocal lenses. Special occupational lens designs are available to accommodate these special needs. For example, an "additional bifocal" can be put in the top portion of glasses with either a bifocal or trifocal lens. This allows one to see near objects overhead more easily. If you have special visual requirement for your job, let us know and we will explain what will work for your individual needs.

The only difference between a "dress lens" and a "safety lens" is the lens thickness. For example, with a minus lens (which corrects nearsightedness) the standard center thickness is 2.2 mm for a "dress lens" and the center thickness for a "safety lens" is 3.0 mm. Safety lenses are available in glass plastic, and hi-index lenses.

LENS TINTING OPTIONS

This is a tint that is clear indoors and due to the amount of sunlight darkens like sunglasses outdoors. The Photogray tint is only available in glass lenses. This tint does not work well in a car because most cars have tinted windows.

This tint is available in light weight plastic lenses. Because it darkens when outdoors and lightens indoors it provides both comfort and versatility. The tint also give protection for the UV rays. One should not consider these as sunglasses for driving because they do not tint well in a car because of tinted car windows.

Quality sunglasses filter about 80% of the visible light spectrum and all the UV and infrared rays. The best colors for sunglasses are gray, green or brown. These tints filter more evenly across the visible light spectrum. Quality sun lenses are ground and polished to be free of distortions and imperfections. They are perfectly matched in color and absorption. Standard tinted lenses are available in glass and plastic. Sunglasses are designed for outdoor daytime wear only.

When light strikes a surface like water it becomes scattered and travels in all directions like a child's sparkler. This is what is commonly know as glare. This glare produces eyestrain and discomfort. Standard sunglasses filter out 80% of the light, but cannot block glare. A polarized lens acts like a filter or lattice which allows the useful light traveling from an object to reach the eye, while blocking all the glare caused by the scattered light traveling in many different random directions. Objects then appear sharper and colors are seen more vividly. Therefore, Polarized Sunglasses combine the advantage of "standard sunglasses" with a polarized lens. These lenses are particularly effective around water, snow, sand, or simply driving down the highway. Polarized sun lenses are made by a special process which places an ultra-thin sheet of polarizing film within the lens itself. This protects the film from any damage, allows the lens to be ground to any prescription, and to be tinted.

OTHER LENS OPTIONS

Light weight hard resin lenses can be more easily scratched than glass lenses. Special coatings have been developed to help protect lenses for normal scratching. The modest additional cost for such scratch coating is usually a prudent investment.

This new scratch coating is the ultimate anti-scratch protection for hard resin lenses. It is so effective that it has a two year guarantee against scratches.

Special anti-reflective coatings are now available for spectacle lenses, much like those used for fine camera lenses. These coatings are particularly effective for reducing eye fatigue for computer operators and anyone driving at night. And, of course, anti-reflection coatings on lenses enhance appearance by removing all distracting reflections.

Time spent in front of computer screens and in harsh fluorescent lighting situations produces eye fatigue and stress from glare. By reducing glare, Crizal lenses make you feel more comfortable in your work environment. In fact, Crizal lenses have been proven in clinical studies to dramatically reduce eye fatigue caused by unwanted light reflections that create glare. Also, studies have shown that Crizal lenses allow your eyes to recover more quickly from glare caused by bright oncoming headlights when driving at night.