Comprehensive Eye Exam

Eye exams are the heart of our practice. Building off decades of experience, Dr. Wilder (previously Dr. Leonard) is a dedicated medical practitioner. We call ourselves Coastal Family Eyecare because we provide comprehensive care for all generations of an entire family. Dr. Wilder has watched some patients come in for pediatric exams, and now sees them when they are home from college, while others have become grandparents and great-grandparents through the years of coming to see her.

It's no secret that eyes change across the span of our lives, and at each stage special attention is required to address specific issues that may arise. We can take care of you from your first pair of glasses to that decline in near vision that seems to hit the moment you turn 40, to the cataracts that almost everyone develops in their advanced years. As a family optometrist, Dr. Wilder has the expertise to meet your entire family’s needs, even as they change over the years. Optometrists are specialists on all the interconnected parts of the eye and the surrounding structures (they even do minor surgeries on occasion!). Dr. Wilder has the experience and background to take a holistic approach to your eyecare. When you schedule your eye exam with Coastal Family Eyecare, you will receive an extensive check of the health of all your eyes’ different tissues and a refraction to get your best corrected vision. Most importantly, our dedicated staff is ready to address your specific concerns and questions.

Our Exam Process

Through years of private practice, we have developed office procedures that make the most of your valuable time with us. When you call to schedule your appointment, our receptionist will collect any medical insurance information so that your copays and deductibles are verified ahead of your exam. With our updated system, you can now submit your paperwork and medical history through our secure portal, which streamlines your check in experience. After check-in, your exam starts with pre-testing by our experienced technician. Getting your history and checking your visual acuities is just the beginning as she also checks for obvious signs of neurological issues or muscles imbalances (like when one eye turns in or out), as well as looking at your intra-ocular pressure. At this point, you may have elected to receive our Digital Retinal Photography, or Dr. Wilder may have already ordered some photos or scans for your visit. Using our state-of-the-art technology, the technician can get large, illuminated images of the back of your eye which the doctor uses to screen for any early signs of disease or abnormalities (like a freckle), and track changes thereafter. We can even scan and measure the thickness of the tear film on the surface of your eye (a diagnostic for dry eye evaluation and treatment, among other things)! You may be dilated at this time so that Dr. Wilder can get a manual look in the back of your eyes with her bright lights, and then you will be refracted. This is where the doctor asks many times “better one, or two?” to get your most accurate prescription for glasses. If you elect to be fitted for contact lenses (a separate service), then the doctor and technician will work with you to find a comfortable lens that provides balance and clarity. At the end of your exam, when your prescriptions are finalized, our Optician will be ready for you out front to custom fit and order new glasses that enhance your lifestyle and help you feel comfortable and confident. We will put a recall in our system so that you get notified next year when it is time to see us again!

What to bring to your exam?

Please bring current and past glasses, including sunglasses, and your ID and medical insurance cards to your eye exam. Past records are not required but are helpful if you know you have been diagnosed with a medical eye condition.

A few notes:
*Please be aware that Dr. Wilder does provide pediatric exams, and it is important that your child receives a comprehensive exam from an optometrist. Read more about pediatric exams from the American Optometry Association here.
**A refraction can be immensely helpful in determining if and to what extent an ocular disease is progressing. For example, to know if cataracts have progressed enough for cataract surgery, a refraction is required to determine how much the cataracts are affecting your visual acuity. This is important to understand, because while we can bill your medical insurance for your exam, we can never bill medical insurance for refractions.

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