FAQ

If you are a new patient, please bring in your most recent glasses, sunglasses, and Contact lens prescription so we can let you know if your prescription has changed.  Also, your medical/vision insurance, and a list of medications.

The doctor is able to examine the front of everyone’s eye without special testing.  Checking the inside of the eye is limited by the size of your pupil.  When the doctor shines a light to look inside your eye, your pupils constrict, making it more difficult to see.  To assist the doctor to get a better view, we recommend you get your eyes dilated (no additional charge) as well as ultra-wide photos of the inside of your eyes (additional charge).

The doctor will discuss various contact lens options based on your prescription.  You’ll receive a complimentary pair of contact lens to ensure you’re seeing well and that the contact lenses are comfortable.  If you need to try different powers or brands, there is no additional charge for this within 2 months of your initial contact lens exam.

Comprehensive eye exams include tests that determine the general eye health and the need for vision correction.  Contact lenses are medical devices that fit in your eyes and your doctor must invest additional time and expertise to determine which contact lenses are in a patient’s best vison and health interest.  There are additional fees for this service.  Note: Sometimes this requires additional follow-up visits as well.

Contact lenses come in “contact” with the delicate surface of your eye and, over time, can change the status of the health of your eye.  Contact lenses are considered “Medical Devices” as they are directly placed on your eye; this means an evaluation needs to be done every year even if the prescription does not change.

The doctor will first need to determine what your glasses prescription is and then convert this to your contact lens prescription.  Whenever you come in for a contact lens exam, you’ll get a copy of both your glasses and contact lens prescriptions.

Our bodies and our eyes are constantly changing and an annual eye exam will make sure that your glasses and contact lenses are giving you the best possible vision.  Contact lenses are medical devices regulated by the FDA so an eye doctor is required to place an expiration date on all contact lens prescriptions.  The standard of care in Tennessee for contact lens prescriptions is ONE year.

We instill eye drops to get your eyes to dilate so the doctor can see the back part of your eyes.  Please be aware that dilation can cause your vision to be blurry for about 4-6 hours, especially at near.  You will most likely not be able to read for several hours after your eye exam.  If this is your first time getting your eyes dilated, we recommend having someone drive you after your eye exam.

Dilating your eyes allows the doctor to get a view inside your eyes, but some individuals are very light sensitive and have difficulty keeping their eyes open so the doctor’s view will be limited.  Taking a photo of the inside of your eyes can allow the doctor to get a more detailed assessment of your eye health to check for certain eye conditions such as macular degeneration, melanoma, and diabetic retinopathy.  The retinal imaging takes less than a minute and there are no side effects such as blurred vision.  Our doctor recommends all patients regardless of age to get both dilation as well as retinal imaging.  If you are not able to get dilated due to the side effects, we highly recommend retinal photos.  The doctor will review the photos with you and it’s pretty cool to be able to see the inside of your own eye!