Contact Lens Exams & Fittings in Conifer

Considering Contact Lenses? Let Us Help!

Contact lenses are a great alternative to glasses and refractive surgery. Today, a wide range of contact lens options exist for nearly every prescription and application. We will help you find the right pair and fitment for comfortable enjoyment.

Please, book your appointment today!

How Might Contact Lenses Be the Right Choice for You?

We offer various contact lenses, including soft contact lenses, lenses for astigmatism, and rigid gas-permeable contact lenses. We can also fit you for more specialized lenses, such as therapeutic, bifocal, or cosmetic options.

If you’re considering contacts, we will show you the best options for your prescription and lifestyle.

Advantages

They do not steam or fog up.
They are ideally suited for active lifestyles where glasses may get in the way.
They do not change your appearance.
They offer excellent peripheral vision.

Disadvantages

They require more daily care than glasses.
They have the potential to cause eye infections if they are not worn or cleaned properly.
Many types require an adaptation period.

What Could Prevent You from Wearing Contacts?

Contact lenses can be a great option for many people and different lifestyles, but they are not suited for everyone.

If you suffer from severe allergic conjunctivitis or chronic dry eye or work with chemicals or in a dusty environment, contact lenses may not be a good option for you.

What to Expect during the Exam & Fitting

Switching to contacts is a three-step process:

The Initial Exam & Fitting

During the initial exam and fitting, we check your eyes to ensure that they are a good candidate for contact lenses. Once the exam is complete, we measure your eyes to determine which lenses will offer an ideal fit.

Insertion & Removal Training

We provide you with your new lenses and show you how to insert and remove them. Many people get a little nervous for their first time inserting contacts, but you don’t have to be! We’re here to walk you through this process from start to finish.

Follow-Up Exam

The follow-up exam is intended to look at your corneal health and see how you have been finding the lenses.

What to Bring to Your Exam

First Time Contact Lens Wearers

If you have never worn contact lenses before, please bring:

Your most recent eyeglass prescription.
Your current glasses.
A copy of your most recent eye exam (if available). To be applicable for contacts, you must have had an eye exam within the last two years. If you are a patient at our practice, we will have this on record.

Current Contact Lens Wearers

If you currently wear contacts, please bring:

Your most recent eyeglass prescription.
Your most recent contact lens prescription.
Your current eyeglasses.
A copy of your most recent eye exam (if available). To be applicable for contacts, you must have had an eye exam within the last two years. If you are a patient at our practice, we will have this on record.
Your current contacts (please bring them to the exam).

Types of Contact Lenses & Wearing Styles

Soft Lenses vs. Rigid Gas Permeable Lenses

Soft contact lenses are also known as hydrogel or hydrophilic lenses. These lenses are very flexible and are often the most comfortable type of lens to wear initially. While very safe to use, these lenses are often disposable to decrease risks of complications, such as infection.

Rigid gas permeable contacts are stiffer lenses and require an adaptation period for the best comfort. For some prescriptions, these lenses offer crisper vision and excellent oxygen permeability.

Daily vs. Extended Wear

Daily wear contact lenses are worn during the day and are removed at night for cleaning and disinfection.

Extended wear contact lenses can be worn for prolonged periods and while sleeping. Sleeping in contacts or wearing them for an extended amount of time can reduce the amount of oxygen your cornea gets, sometimes resulting in eye infections, swelling, and abnormal vessel growth.

Contact Lens Styles

Conventional contact lenses are frequently selected for difficult prescriptions. They need to be meticulously cleaned and disinfected daily.

Planned replacement contact lenses are replaced on a set schedule that can be anywhere from once a week to every six months. These lenses need to be removed and disinfected each day before sleeping.

Disposable contact lenses are thrown away after each use. Although lenses that are thrown away after 2 weeks or 1 month are often referred to as “disposable” lenses, a true disposable lens is only used one day. These lenses significantly decrease the chances of contamination by bacteria or other dangerous microbes. Additionally, these lenses are exceptionally convenient for occasional use.

Contact Lens FAQ

What Are Contact Lenses and What Are Their Advantages?

A contact lens is a precisely-fit medical device that improves your vision. They provide good peripheral vision, are excellent for active lifestyles, remain clear (they do not steam or fog up like eyeglasses), and do not change your appearance.

However, they require more daily care than eyeglasses. Some types also require a short adaptation period before maximum comfort is achieved. They may also lead to eye infections and other complications if not worn or cleaned properly.

How Am I Fitted for Contact Lenses?

Your fitting will start with a comprehensive eye examination. The doctor will examine your eyes to determine if you are a candidate for contact lenses and then discuss your options. The fitting then commences with additional tests to design an initial trial pair of contact lenses.

After a one-week trial period, a follow-up visit is necessary to evaluate the contact lens fit and your eye health. Most prescriptions are finalized within 1 or 2 follow-up visits, while some fittings may take longer.

Successful contact lens use depends on healthy eyes, a proper fit, and a patient’s compliance with the prescribed wearing schedule and care system.

How Much Do Contact Lenses Cost?

The cost of contact lenses depends on the type of contact lens and how frequently you replace them.

There are two fees associated with contact lenses: a fitting fee and a material fee. The fitting covers the services provided and includes training and all follow-up visits up to 3 months after the prescription is finalized. The material fee covers the supply of contact lenses. A written contact lens prescription can be given only after the fitting process is complete.

We purchase contact lenses directly from the manufacturers and pass the savings along to you. For your convenience, contact lenses can be delivered directly to your home or office.

What If I Find That Contact Lenses Are Not Right for Me?

Our staff will do all they can to help you successfully wear contact lenses. We will teach you how to care for your lenses and how to insert and remove them properly.

If you decide that contact lenses are not for you, you may return the contact lenses within 30 days for a full refund of the material fee. Fitting fees are non-refundable.

How Often Do I Need to See the Doctor?

Once you have been fitted with your new contact lenses, you will need to return for regular follow-up care prescribed by the doctor. In general, annual follow-ups are required to renew contact lens prescriptions.

Can There Be Complications from Contact Lens Wear?

Contact lenses are quite safe when fitted and taken care of properly. However, there are some risks.

To minimize these risks, an annual eye examination is necessary to catch and prevent potential complications resulting from lens wear.

Brands We Carry

Alcon

Alcon has one mission: to provide innovative products that enhance quality of life by helping people see better. Alcon is uniquely poised to serve every contact lens wearer by addressing the full life cycle of their needs.

Bausch and Lomb

Bausch + Lomb is one of the best-known and most respected healthcare brands globally, offering the widest and finest range of eye health products including contact lenses and lens care products, pharmaceuticals, intraocular lenses, and other eye surgery products.

Cooper Vision

We create and execute innovation that is unmatched in the contact lens industry. There’s much more to our story than that, however. You’ll find that what sets us apart is how we approach our business. We collaborate, we listen, and we enjoy what we do.

Vistakon

VISTAKON® has become a world leader in vision care through our unwavering commitment to the highest standards of quality.Through our worldwide network of eye care professionals, we gather insightful feedback that is used to further the safety and improvement of our products and processes.

Contact Lenses Suited to Our Mountain Environment

Due to our high altitude and low humidity, not all contact lenses fit well or feel comfortable. We have purposefully chosen brands that we know work best in our climate.

We offer traditional lenses, disposables, extended wear, multifocal, monovision, and toric lenses.

If you’ve never worn contacts and are considering switching from glasses, book a contact lens eye exam to get the process started.

Find The Contacts You Need Today!

If you’re wondering if contact lenses are right for you, please book a contact lens exam today, and we can help find lenses to match your needs!

Our Location

Visit our award-winning location today! You can find our practice right on Main Street, next to Safeway. We offer ample free parking with accessibility options for our patients.