EVERYDAY SAFETY

Out of Harm’s Way

Smart choices for kids’ everyday eyewear

BY SUSAN TARRANT

Converse style K015 by REM Eyewear

fitting children for protective sports eyewear is vital to warding off injuries on the playing field. But what about when they aren’t in the game? Because your patients will spend more time in their everyday glasses than their sports gear, it’s good service to make sure you are outfitting them in lenses and frames that are up to the challenges posed by such active wearers.

LENS MATERIAL

Lenses must be impact-resistant, so that means polycarbonate or a Trivex material.

POLYCARBONATE. This is the “base” lens at A Child’s Eyes in Mechanicsburg, PA. Owner Danielle Crull, ABOM, makes it a point to educate parents on its impact-resistance and light weight. She applies a small upcharge for Trivex—another material she stands behind.

TRIVEX. It’s Trivex first at Design Vision Optical/Kids’ Optique in Wauwatosa, WI. Owner Cindy Seemann likes its “optical purity” over poly, and also because it allows children with high-plus prescriptions (and that’s the majority of kids) to have lighter AND flatter lenses. Poly is reserved for Rx’s that just aren’t possible in Trivex.

She gets no push-back on Trivex’s higher price, either, because she offers it for the same price as poly.

“I suck it up because I believe in it so much,” she explains.

HIGH-INDEX. It doesn’t offer the impact resistance of a polycarbonate or Trivex, but sometimes high index is the right material choice. When? When the prescription isn’t possible in poly or Trivex. Or, when the children are older, or not very active and worries about impact are lessened.

“I think when you’re dealing with older children who have progressive myopia, there is a point where the discussion begins about using higher-index lenses,” says Crull. “There is a point where thickness and safety risks intersect. It’s my job to help them decide where that might be. I always educate and never sell. It is my job to let them know what the choices are and each one’s positive or negative.”

LENS TREATMENTS

The idea of safety and protecting young patients doesn’t solely relate to eye injuries and broken frames. Young patients can be protected from high-energy visible (blue) light, given tools to adapt to varying light conditions, and be presented with lenses that reduce reflected light.

AR. Recommended by all the ECPs we spoke to, for all patients once they reach pre-school age. Premium ARs are also tough, easy to keep clean, and resist smudges.

UV. Most lens materials, certainly polycarbonate and Trivex, have UV protection already. But UV protection is a must for children; so remember that when recommending sunwear!

BLUE LIGHT. Research is indicating a possible connection between long-term blue light exposure (from digital devices, CFL lights, etc.) and macular degeneration as well as other retinal issues. Offering an AR or a lens material that also filters blue light—or at least bringing up the topic with parents—makes sense.

“I think it’s fair to begin to talk with the parents of these young ones about the potential harm,” says Crull, “but I emphasize potential because we don’t need to make parents feel worried...they should feel educated.”

PHOTOCHROMICS. The benefits of photochromic lenses for young people begin with UV protection and the ability to offer comfortable vision in varying light conditions. This is important when young people often don’t want to change their eyewear to sunwear when they head outside. And, it’s just plain cool to have “magic” glasses that darken at recess!

FRAME STYLES

Most kids’ frame collections are designed to handle the extra “handling” that children give their glasses. But when kids get a little older and gravitate toward adult styles, ECPs must continue to keep durability and safety in mind.

ZYL. Because it’s rigid it stays in adjustment, which is a plus for parents who don’t want to visit the optician every week; but it can snap when given an extra-hard bump.

METAL. Metal frames can offer flexibility, and memory metals can offer a lot of flexibility. That can be a plus. But nose pads can break, or cause injury to the nose during a playful scuffle. And metals may require more frequent adjustments.

The bottom line, Crull offers, is to know your patient and to recommend the frame that best suits his lifestyle. She adds: “Let me say that I really do like the new TR90 frames that manufacturers are making for kids. They do tend to take those hard hits better.”

Protecting children’s sight goes beyond giving them the visual solutions they require. It includes making sure those solutions are packaged in ways that best protect them from injury as they lead their tough-and-tumble lifestyles. It’s good sense. It’s good business.