Optician

Trained in lenses, optics, and the measuring and fitting of eyewear. ABO (American Board of Opticianry) Certification is the standard for use of this title. A skilled optician selects the appropriate lens style and material and guides the customer in choosing the appropriate frames to give each person the optimal combination of comfort and visual acuity. This particular species will not be found at the familiar-sounding eyeglass chains, and their close relatives; the BigBox retailers.

Optometrist

Trained to perform exams for glasses and contact lenses. They are designated by the letters O.D. (Optometry Doctorate). Be wary of those who surround their name with multiple redundant designations in an effort to aggrandize themselves. For example, “Dr. C.F. Eyecare, O.D., Optometrist”. This creature is known in the industry as a capable assistant to Ophthalmologists, excellent at filling out insurance forms, but a questionable guide to fashion, and these days, you can’t swing a cat in Wicker Park without hitting one.

Ophthalmologist

A medical doctor who specializes in diseases of the eye and can perform eye surgery. One must be a licensed M.D. to use the designation “Ophthalmologist”. This is who you should seek out for the treatment of serious vision problems or eye disease, traumatic injuries to, or foreign bodies in the eye. They generally do not fit and dispense eyewear. Eyewant does not presently perform exams. We can use valid current prescriptions from any optometrist or ophthalmologist of your choice. Eyewant does NOT take insurance.