Reply to: Dentists

[KathyWoolfe]

I'm lucky in that I only need glasses for reading (both books and computer screen) and I get those non-prescription glasses from chemists +2 diopters I think.
I put this healthiness down to the fact that I used to read a book whilst simultaneously keeping watching the TV.

And how did we end up talking about eye problems on a thread about dentists

[TimberWolf]

Even then it'll get you in the end... I'm almost at the stage of needing reading glasses at 54... one eye is ok, but the other one (not so short sighted) will no longer focus comfortably for reading...

It's a bit offputting because I now have a very narrow range where both eyes are properly focussed... and it's getting further & further away...

Yep, it's the ability to accomodate that diminishes and you end up with what the optoms called your cycloplegic refraction, that is the true refractive state of your eye. At an earlier age your eye can accommodate, but only in the positive direction (to make things closer come into focus). Aged 65 or so we only have about 1D of accomodation or less to play with, so that's the range you notice getting less. What's your prescription, presumably it's less than -2D ? A lot of people choose monovision and get used to reading with one eye but need glasses for best vision. I did something unusual and opted to have both eyes left slightly miopic, rather than loose the stereopsis.

[expat]

Can't find one at all in my area who is taking on NHS patients....

I found a dentist who takes on NHS patients. Trouble is, she won't do all the levels of treatment on the NHS:

£15.90 - This charge includes an examination, diagnosis and preventive care. If necessary, this includes X-rays, scale and polish, and planning for further treatment. Urgent and out-of-hours care also costs £15.90.
£43.60 - This charge includes all necessary treatment covered by the £15.90 charge PLUS additional treatment such as fillings, root canal treatment or extractions.
£194 -This charge includes all necessary treatment covered by the £15.90 and £43.60 charges PLUS more complex procedures such as crowns, dentures or bridges.

She will only do £15.90 treatment on the NHS: i.e. get them in on the NHS but charge them private for the treatment. I also got charged £37 for a clean, when she did the NHS examination, and recommended a clean without specifying that her practice did not offer than on the NHS. I paid up, then googled a bit, then queried the charge. She refunded it - and dropped me from the practice.

Well, I wasn't about to go back anyway, but it was a perfect finish: argue your charges down to NHS level, and you are not wanted.

I'm back on contract in NL and just get it done here.

[oracleslave]

Our neighbour is something insane - over -20 in one eye.

blind

[cailin maith]

I am -6 in the one eye and thought that was bad!

Me too, in my left eye. Very inconvenient

[NotAllThere]

I am -6 in the one eye and thought that was bad!

Our neighbour is something insane - over -20 in one eye.

[TimberWolf]

I am -6 in the one eye and thought that was bad!

I was around -7 in both eyes before LASIK, and was corrected to around -1, -1.75 ealier this year, which is midly shortsighted. I don't have a problem with reading close up with glasses yet, but this small amount of shortightness will mean I will not need to grope for glasses for close work when I am in my 40's and beyond. Unfortunately most people think 20/20 vision is perfect.

-6 is short for -6 diopters; this is the reciprocal of the focal length (of the corrective lens) in metres, meaning your optical system is at infinity at 17 cm from the eye. Before the age of 40 your lens can bring that focal point somewhat closer yet. Or in other words it's not so much that you have bad eyeisght, but have really good eyesight up close. Typically people end up needing +2D lenses or so as they age, though this would be more for longsighted people. Short sighted people can just take off their glasses for close work.

[oracleslave]

-9.5 in one eye, -8 in the other.

( I think that's the right sign for myopia )

I am -6 in the one eye and thought that was bad!

[TimberWolf]

-9.5 in one eye, -8 in the other.

( I think that's the right sign for myopia )

Yep, -ve means a negative curvature (in the correcting lens), making it dispersive or less powerful. A positive lens (like a magnifying glass or the lens of the eye) is positive. Shortsighted people have a visual system that is too powerful, focussing rays in front of the retina, and a negaitive lens disperses these rays, increasing the focal length.

-9 is pretty shortsighted, and yeah you really need to go to the best with prescriptions like that. Regression is usually greatest in the first weeks and usually settles after 6 months or so, but any small amount of shortsightedness she might be left with can be useful. The thing to avoid is being made long-sightedness IMO, since this can be masked before the age of 45 'cos the lens of the eye will work like buggary to correct it while the patient thinks he/she has super vision.

[NotAllThere]

What was her prescription?

-9.5 in one eye, -8 in the other.

( I think that's the right sign for myopia )

[Xenophon]

HTH

Fail

Exactly like that!

Win

[TimberWolf]

The cost of laser surgery and its effectiveness depends on the degree of short-sightedness (for example, it's completely useless for politicians). My wife still has some vision problems - highlighting and starbursts at night, but not enough to stop her driving me around - but the correction has remained 20:20. The surgeon warned that it could settle down to -3. This particularly surgeon specialised in very thin flaps, which, while needing more care in the early days, leads, he says, to better long term results. The guy was quite clearly mad; I'm sure I heard him say "And they call me crazy - bwhahahahahahah".

And it was about £2500 at the exchange rates then. And there was no-one in the UK who'd do it for close to that for her prescription.

Personally, though, I ain't lettin' no darn laser near my eyes.

What was her prescription?

[hyperD]

It's not unknown that when root canal surgery or something similarly expensive is required, to fly to Budapest, have the treatment, stay in a nice hotel etc. It's cheaper.

I'd agree with this BUT beware: make sure you are comparing like with like - my wife had implants and some high quality fake gnashers put in (private UK in the end) but some of the Hungarian dentists were not using the same high quality materials.

[NotAllThere]

The cost of laser surgery and its effectiveness depends on the degree of short-sightedness (for example, it's completely useless for politicians). My wife still has some vision problems - highlighting and starbursts at night, but not enough to stop her driving me around - but the correction has remained 20:20. The surgeon warned that it could settle down to -3. This particularly surgeon specialised in very thin flaps, which, while needing more care in the early days, leads, he says, to better long term results. The guy was quite clearly mad; I'm sure I heard him say "And they call me crazy - bwhahahahahahah".

And it was about £2500 at the exchange rates then. And there was no-one in the UK who'd do it for close to that for her prescription.

Personally, though, I ain't lettin' no darn laser near my eyes.

[PAH]

That can happen, and was worse in its early days. One of the problems that can happen is that the pupil dilates beyond the laser ablation zone, at night, so you get shortsighted, or longsighted, depending on what you were, and might see halos/starbursts too.

Yeah she often saw stars when she was with me.

Not so much the halo.