ask the labs

LENS Lessons

Susan Tarrant

LOOSE LENSES

Q I’ve had patients come back in after a couple of months complaining of loose lenses, but they were fine when I originally fit them. What could be the cause, and how do I solve it?

A Usually, the main reason that patients will come back complaining of loose lenses after a few months of wear is that they have stretched their frames or heated them in some way.

Here are some general rules of thumb to keep in mind:

■ If it’s a metal frame, the screw is most likely loose.

■ If it’s a plastic frame, the lenses could have been edged too small.

■ If a plastic frame was sitting on the dashboard of a car in the sun, it could get hotter than a frame warmer. Heat causes the frame and lenses to expand, which would bow out the lenses and not fit their temples well.

■ If a pair was made in the winter time, the frame could constrict when the patient goes outside, causing warping of the lenses and the frame. Any change in sizing is going to affect the optics, even slightly.

The best way to determine the cause of the situation is to assess the frame and the lenses. Is it only the lenses that appear too small? Or does the frame tend to be misshapen, too?

Other than a few minor readjustments and handwork, there is not much that can fix the eyewear besides remaking the lenses. Most labs offer a one-time remake.

Don’t forget to warn your patients about the heat and cold weather effects—even if it seems unlikely to happen. The best customer is the accident-free patient!

— Beth Showalter, ABOC, president, ICE-TECH Advanced Lens Technologies, Atlantic Beach, FL

CUT-OUT ISSUES

Q What is your advice regarding larger frame sizes? I am concerned about cut-out problems and having to redo the lens.

A Unless an Rx exceeds a 60 eye size, cut-out issues are rarely a major concern. However, this is subject to variables such as PD seg height and even high-wrap scenarios.

If dispensers are properly trained, a traditional cut-out chart or a quick call to your laboratory can help eliminate remakes. Finally, as digitally fabricated lenses become more the norm, cut-out issues will decrease as premiere labs will no longer be bound by the limitations of a semi-finished blank, but will have the freedom to better “maneuver” through the lens with customized designs to build the perfect Rx.

— Jeff Szymanski, vice president, Toledo Optical Laboratory, Toledo, OH

If you have a question you’d like to have answered in Ask the Labs, send it to Susan Tarrant. Email: Susan.Tarrant@Springer.com.

An archive of past Ask the Labs columns can be found on the Eyecare Business website at EyecareBusiness.com.