Frequently Asked Questions About Eye Exams

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.