Eye Exam FAQs | Burlington Optometry

Get Answers to Your Questions

Comprehensive eye exams are an important part of your overall health. Your doctor can evaluate your prescription, look for signs of common eye diseases, and give you insight into your long term eye health. Read through our answers to your frequently asked questions about eye exams.

If you don’t find the answer you’re searching for, please feel free to get in touch with us.

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FAQs

How Often Do I Need an Eye Exam?

The Canadian Association of Optometrists recommends the following frequency for eye exams, based on age:

0–24 months old: one exam between 6–9 months of age
2–5 years old: one exam total
6–19 years old: one exam every year
20–39 years old: one exam every 2–3 years
40–64 years old: one exam every 2 years
65 years or older: one exam every year

What Happens During an Eye Exam?

After being greeted by our front desk staff and ensuring your information is up-to-date, we’ll bring you to the pretesting area and exam room. During your exam, your eye doctor will:

Discuss your overall health history
Measure your visual acuity
Test for refractive errors such as myopia and hyperopia
Complete a full eye health assessment
Check your eyes for common diseases

What Are Specialty Eye Care Services?

Specialty eye care goes beyond a routine comprehensive eye exam. If your optometrist determines that you would benefit from extra care, or if you are interested in corrective procedures, we can help with our selection of specialty eye care.

These services include:

Laser eye surgery consultations
Digital eye strain management
Emergency eye care
Genetic testing
Eye Nutrition
Eye disease diagnosis & management

Does My Child Need an Eye Exam?

It’s important for your child to visit an eye doctor every year between the ages of 6–19, according to the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO). Younger children should follow recommendations from the CAO. Children’s eye exams include assessments for:

Distance vision
Close-up vision
Peripheral vision
Hand-eye coordination
Irregular vision

Ensuring your child has healthy vision and assistance when they need it can help them overcome challenges associated with vision problems.

Does My Insurance Cover the Cost of an Eye Exam?

We are able to directly bill to many insurance providers. Please visit our insurance and payment info page for more info.

OHIP provides coverage for one comprehensive eye exam a year for:

People aged 19 years and younger
People aged 65 years and older

OHIP also covers an annual comprehensive eye exam for people with the following eye diseases and conditions:

Diabetes
Glaucoma
Cataracts
Retinal disease
Amblyopia (lazy eye)
Visual field defects
Corneal disease
Strabismus
Recurrent uveitis
Optic pathway disease

OHIP also covers a comprehensive eye exam requested by referral from another doctor.

How Do I Read My Prescription for Eyeglasses?

After your eye exam, you may receive a prescription for eyeglasses. Your doctor will help you choose the ideal frames to suit your face shape and personal style. But what if you want to know how to read your prescription yourself? There are a few key elements to your prescription you should be familiar with.

OD stands for Oculus Dexter, meaning your right eye. OS stands for Oculus Sinister, meaning your left eye. You may sometimes see the abbreviation OU, which stands for Oculus Uterque—meaning both eyes.

The first number you see is for the spherical correction, often written as SPH. This determines how powerful the lens needs to be to correct myopia (nearsightedness) or hyperopia (farsightedness).

A myopic prescription is denoted with a – sign. A hyperopic prescription is denoted with a + sign. A higher number indicates a more powerful prescription. For example, a -1.00 prescription is less powerful than a -9.00 prescription.

How Do I Book an Eye Exam Appointment?

You can book an appointment online. If you prefer, you can contact us directly by phone, e-mail, or fill out our general inquiry form.

Our Location

Find us in the Burlington Heights Plaza at the corner of Upper Middle Road and Guelph Line next to Ikki Sushi. If you have trouble finding us, give us a call!