Today's sophisticated eye glasses are a lot different from the round pieces of crude quartz through which the ancients peered. Today, eyewear is designed to express the wearer’s personality and depict current fashion. Besides being fashionable, correct eyewear can give you excellent eyesight. Good eyesight increases your efficiency at school, work and at play. It also increases your enjoyment when reading a book, watching a movie, a favorite television show or a sporting event. Most importantly, good eyesight increases your safety in all areas of your life. Today, about one half of the people in the United States under the age of 45 and virtually 100 percent of the population over age 45 require at least part-time vision corrective devices.

To serve the health needs of the American population, workers in a variety of occupations are involved in providing vision care. Ophthalmologists, doctors with M.D. degrees, diagnose medical and refractive problems, while optometrists diagnose refractive errors. Both may prescribe optical devices to correct visual anomalies. Opticians, also called ophthalmic dispensers, dispensing opticians, and contact lens opticians, improve the lives of millions of Americans by providing properly fitted eyeglasses or contact lenses for them. Opticians design, order and adjust eyeglasses and contact lenses for patients whose eyesight has previously been tested by an ophthalmologist or an optometrist.

Statistics show that the middle-aged and elderly population is growing. As people grow older, they need corrective lenses. Recently, there has been an increasing public awareness of the importance of good eyesight, which has led to an increased demand for trained opticians. Other factors leading to this career growth are industrial safety precautions and demands for sport and fashion eyewear. There are almost 65,000 dispensing opticians. Approximately half of them work for ophthalmologists or optometrists who sell glasses directly to patients.

Many also work in optical stores that offer one stop shopping, where customers have their eyes examined, choose frames and have glasses made on the spot. Opticians are responsible for making sure the glass or plastic lenses are free from bubbles or flaws and perfectly polished. The lenses must be the right power and set in the rims at the correct angle. The lens centers must be in the right places. For example, in bifocals, there are four focal centers, while in trifocals there are six. In addition, the optician is responsible for making sure the size, color and style of frames are as ordered. If major changes are needed, the optician must return the glasses to the laboratory with instructions. Opticians are only one classification of a variety of career positions related to providing care to your eyes. Besides the optician, the optical laboratory technician, optometric technician and optometric assistant are all part of the vision healthcare team. As you read this report, you will learn more about these fields and career opportunities.