Spectacle Lenses

Spectacle Lens Types

Today there are many choices when it comes to what type of lens will best suit your needs. Sometimes one pair of glasses will not be able to satisfy all your visual requirements. Our staff will work with you to analyze your vision demands and place you in the lens that’s best for you.

Single vision lenses correct nearsightedness (myopia), farsightedness (hyperopia) and astigmatism. They come in every material and you can get them coated for scratch resistance or glare (antireflection coatings). Also they come in the transition (light to dark) lens and they can be polarized.

Bifocals have some sort of line either straight across or curved. While most people select the no-line or progressive lens, bifocals do have some advantages like a wide reading area.

Trifocals add a second line allowing for another separate area to be ground into the lens. This additional area is usually used for intermediate vision. Typically this is from about two feet to approximately five feet away. This allows for clear vision at the computer or dashboard distance.

Progressives are also known as no-line bifocals. These lenses have become the most popular choice for those who have developed presbyopia. Today there are over 300 different types of progressive lenses on the market. Technology keeps advancing and the best lenses today are digitally enhanced and provide clear vision at all distances with minimum distortion. Our staff will help you select a lens that is right for the frame you choose and your visual demands.

Progressive lenses are line-free multifocals that have a seamless progression of added magnifying power for intermediate and near vision.

Spectacle Lens Materials

Spectacle lenses are now made out of even more different materials than ever before. At Killingly Eye Care we try to take advantage of the options we have to customize your lenses to match your prescription. In other words, some prescriptions are better off being made from one material than another. We will take the time to recommend what we think will enhance your vision the most.

Today’s choices for lens materials are:

  • GLASS Once the overwhelming most popular choice, now rarely used. Its biggest advantage is it is very scratch resistant. However it is very heavy.
  • PLASTIC Light weight with high optical clarity, but scratches easy. Should have a scratch coating. Also gets thicker in higher prescriptions.
  • POLYCARBONATE Very light, very safe, thinner, but has high chromatic aberration. Which means patients may see colored fringes around objects. It scratches easy and usually comes with scratch coating.
  • TRIVEX Very safe, and has less chromatic aberration than polycarbonate lenses, thus has optical superiority. It is slightly thicker than polycarbonate.
  • HIGH INDEX PLASTICS There are several levels of high index and they are very thin and very light. But they scratch and should have a scratch coating applied. They also have higher chromatic aberration than Trivex.

Lens Coatings

Today’s lens applications enhance your vision and improve how your glasses look.  Reducing glare or preventing scratches are common applications for today’s lenses.  Like most things in life however there are products that perform better than others.  At Killingly Eye Care we feel it is our responsibility to inform and guide our patients to make the best choice for each individual.

Some of the coatings and lens applications we recommend are:

SCRATCH RESISTANT COATING

  • No material is scratch proof.  Not even glass lenses.  However some materials are more resistant to scratches than others.  Some of the lenses that are thin and lightweight scratch easier and should have a coating applied. Lenses that are treated with a coating on both the front and the back surface will resist scratching.  Children’s glasses should always have a scratch coating.
  • No coating will totally prevent scratches though.  So you should keep your glasses in a case when not in use and clean them with a micro fiber cloth and the proper cleaning solution.
  • Scratches cannot be repaired.  There are products that claim to do this but all they do is temporarily hide the scratch.
  • An anti-scratch coating can lengthen the life of your lenses, while hydrophobic coatings keep rain, snow and fog at bay.

ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATINGS

  • One of the biggest improvements in lenses has been the development of anti reflective coatings.  AR coatings as they are called are really a multilayered application (usually from 8-10 microscopically thin layers) that eliminate glare from the front and back surface of lenses.
  • Eliminating glare enhances your vision especially at night, making for better vision and more comfortable vision.
  • AR coatings are particularly recommended for certain lens materials.  Materials like polycarbonate and high index cause more reflections making AR coatings an essential.  AR coatings can also be applied to transition (light to dark or photochromatic) lenses reducing glare in high sunlight conditions.
  • There are different quality AR coatings and at Killingly Eye Care we will help you understand the difference in the available products so you can make an informed decision.

ANTI-FOG COATING

  • In cold climates or in certain jobs glasses are exposed to varying temperatures and they are prone to fogging up.  Not only is this annoying but it can be dangerous if machinery is being operated or driving is involved.
  • A coating can be applied that will eliminate fogging allowing for clear vision under changing climates.  This coating will also prevent glasses from fogging when exercising.  This coating can be applied to all types of lenses.

ULTRAVIOLET TREATMENT

  • Another beneficial treatment is the UV blocker in lenses, which filter out the harmful UV rays that can cause cataracts and macular degeneration.  Most of us are very aware of the importance of using a sunscreen when out in the sun for any extended amount of time.  Our eyes require protection as well and the UV blocker protects our sensitive internal eye structures from the sun’s harmful rays.
  • While plastic lens themselves block most of the harmful UV light adding a UV blocking dye boosts the protection to 100 percent.  Polycarbonate and most high index lenses already possess 100 percent UV protection so adding the additional UV blocker is unnecessary.

TRANSITION LENSES

  • These lenses are almost totally clear indoors and then automatically darken in direct sunlight.  They also protect your eyes from 100 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays.  These lenses offer great convenience allowing you to get protection from the sunlight without having a separate pair of prescription sunglasses.
  • They are available in a wide variety of materials and they have different types of lenses (some getting darker outside than others).  These lenses are good for children who spend a good deal of time outside as they offer protection from the sun’s rays that can produce cataracts.  Protecting your child’s eyes when they are young may be a benefit to them when they are older.

POLARIZED LENSES

  • Polarized lenses are popular with boaters, fishermen and outdoorsman who require reduced glare off the surface of the water.  Many others though can benefit from polarized lenses.  Skiers, bikers, golfers are just a few of the activities that would benefit from the elimination of glare.  Even driving is a more pleasurable experience when you are not dealing with the glare from the hood of the car or the road’s surface.
  • Polarized lenses work by eliminating the light that reflects off a surface in a certain orientations.  There are some situations though were polarized lenses are not helpful.  They will make it very difficult to see light emitted by LCD’s (liquid crystal diodes) and some digital screens like ATM machines or your cell phone display.
  • These lenses can be a great enhancement for your outdoor experience.  We will be happy to advise you if these lenses would work for you.

Reasons to Buy Your Glasses from Us

We only offer top-quality products.  Not all lenses are the same.  At Killingly Eye Care we use the latest technology which allows us to provide our patients with a digital progressive lens design.  We also offer high quality lenses that come with anti-reflective coating, which eliminates reflections from your eyeglasses making your lenses nearly invisible, so people can focus on your eyes and not distracting reflections.  This coating also eliminates glare caused by light reflecting from your lenses thus, it provides better vision for night driving and more comfortable vision for reading and computer use.

Fast service. We have our own surfacing and finishing laboratory and full-time lab technician so your glasses can be made quickly.

Huge selection of frame styles. Our dispensary has 800+ frames on display, more than two times that of the average office. Our Eyewear Fashion Consultants will help you find the perfect style, size, and color in your price range. We carry several exclusive frame lines, such as Elle, Vera Wang, Vera Bradley, Michael Kors, Silhouette, Adidas, Coach, Versace and more.

All plastic lenses have a scratch-resistant coating at no extra charge. The anti-scratch coat makes plastic lenses very tough – they are guaranteed for 1 year not to scratch, or the lenses are replaced free of charge (1 replacement per year).

We stand behind our prescription. Our doctors are available to review your prescription needs and recheck your vision if you have adaptation difficulties (at no charge). We’ll make any lens change needed at no charge and you won’t be caught in the middle. We want you to love your glasses!