Ophthalmologist vs. Optometrist: What’s the Difference?

An optometrist (O.D.) is often your first stop for routine eye care, comprehensive eye exams, glasses/contact lens prescriptions, and diagnosing and managing many common eye conditions.

An ophthalmologist (M.D. or D.O.) is a medical doctor who specializes in medical and surgical eye care, including cataract surgery and treatment of more complex eye diseases.

In general, it’s appropriate to see an optometrist for annual exams, vision changes, dry eye, and most everyday eye concerns, and to see an ophthalmologist for cataracts, eye surgery, serious eye disease, or urgent symptoms like sudden vision loss, flashes/floaters, significant eye pain, or eye injury.

​​​​​​​If you’re not sure which provider you need, please give us a call and our team can help guide you to the right physician.