Troubleshooting Tips
Polarized Do's and Don'ts
Karlen McLean, ABOC, NCLC
Polarized, photochromic and polarized, and now new light-activated clear-to-polarized lenses offer a plethora of choices to offer to every patient, but also may cause some confusion on the dispensing frontline.
EB asked labs for their most commonly experienced frontline polarized mishaps, and then inquired how ECPs can prevent polarized problems upfront. The response: by being aware of errors and performing troubleshooting before a polarized job gets to the lab. Performing these quick tricks will help reduce your redo/remake numbers and build better relationships with your labs.
BASE CURVE ISSUES
DON'T: Send in an 8-base wrap frame and expect the lenses to work both optically and physically for all prescriptions.
DO: Make sure the Rx falls within the recommended guidelines for the frame and Rx, which is typically -4.00D to +4.00 sphere.
— Don Barton, sales manager, Homer Optical Company, Inc., Silver Spring, Md.
COMPENSATION COMPREHENSION
DON'T: Misinterpret compensated Rx measures and results.
DO: Several labs' wrap compensation programs adjust for the fact that, with an Rx wrap, polarized lens patients look through a lens at an oblique angle.
Without the necessary compensation or the understanding of how it affects what's seen in a lensmeter (compensated Rx's read differently than a doctor's Rx), ECPs can leave themselves vulnerable to patient dissatisfaction and unnecessary remakes.
Proper cut-out and blank thickness are other issues, like compensation, that can easily be resolved when ECPs work with their wholesale lab to find the best solutions.
— Jeff Szymanski, vice president, Toledo Optical, Toledo, Ohio
EDGE CONSIDERATIONS
DON'T: Overlook polarized edges.
DO: The lens polarized filter works like a Venetian blind. This filter is the tinted portion of a polarized lens, which is the reason the edge of the lens is clear. This is more noticeable as a lens' thickness increases.
Keep this in mind when ordering polarized lenses for a rimless design. If the frame requires a shelf edge, the clear portion of the lens will also be more noticeable. It would be best to order Trivex material in these situations, making it easy to add a little tint to the lens to mask the clear edge.
— Chris Brown, manager optical help desk, with Darice Stommes, lab manager, Walman Optical, Minneapolis
| FIRST AND FOREMOST |
|---|
| Outdoor vision protection and enhancement should be number one on everyone's lens recommendation list, especially polarized product. “When it comes to problems generated by polarized lens ordering, the first and most obvious concern is that there's simply not enough ordering of this product,” comments Toledo Optical's Jeff Szymanski. “Within our industry, and with all the options we have to enhance the visual lives of our patients, polarized lenses remain one of the most underutilized and least talked about options, and this is the first thing that should be addressed industry-wide.” Set a reasonable polarized sales improvement goal—say, an achievable two percent—for the year, focus on polarized, and do it! |
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