The three types of eye care professionals include optometrists (O.D.), ophthalmologists (M.D.) and opticians. An optician is not an eye doctor, but a technician who fills written prescriptions for eyeglasses or contact lenses. Optometrists and ophthalmologists are eye doctors.

 

An optometrist is a doctor of optometry (O.D.). This type of eye doctor is qualified to perform general eye exams, examining for both vision and health problems. Some provide low vision care and vision therapy.

 

An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor (M.D.). Ophthalmologists can perform full eye exams and many different types of eye surgery. They can also diagnose and treat diseases of the eye and prescribe medication.

 

 

 

Which doctor should I schedule with?

 

*Any of the following vision exams can be seen by one of our optometrist:

• Yearly eye exams

• Diabetic eye exams

• Scratched corneas

• other non-surgical needs

 

*Dr. Brian Stahl and Dr. James Knowles are Medical Doctors and we reserve their schedule for surgical patients, glaucoma patients, macular degeneration patients and more severe eye issue patients. If you have a non surgical eye issue you will be asked to visit a local optometrist or see one of ours.