The practice, Woolwich Optometry, has existed since 2017.  Dr. Chhatwal has practiced optometry full-time since graduating in 2005 from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry.  Dr. Chhatwal has been a local Elmira optometrist since 2006, but has been operating his own optometric practice, under the name Woolwich Optometry, since 2017.  The practice is still growing, but we have had the pleasure of re-acquainting with previous patients while also meeting new ones, since our opening in June of 2017.

Yes, we are.  We are a full scope optometric practice, and are happy to see any patient regardless of age or abilities.  (You can book an appointment here). We consider ourselves to be an all-inclusive optometric practice, and Dr. Chhatwal strives to be the family eye doctor that you would hope for, with our focus being on healthy well-sighted eyes for all.

We’d love to hear from you, by any means that you feel most comfortable with.  To book an appointment a phone call or email to the office will always work. Our contact information can be found on this website (contact us here).  Alternatively, there is a direct appointment request form that can be filled via this website. When you submit this form we will receive it, and we will respond to your request as soon as possible. Simply click on our Appointment Booking button found throughout the website, and submit your request to us. This is designed for both new and existing patient bookings. (Book an appointment here.)

Eye exams are not covered by OHIP for most adults between 20-64 years old.

For some patients (19 years and younger, 65 years and older, or those with specific medical conditions) OHIP covers a standard eye exam.

Drops are not always used but can be part of many eye exams. There are different kinds of eye drops that may be used depending on your needs.

The most common drops are used to dilate your pupils, which helps the optometrist better see the inside of your eye. These drops can leave your eyes a little blurry and sensitive to light for a few hours, so you may not be able to drive immediately after this procedure.

Other drops are used to relax the focus of your eyes, which helps the optometrist take certain measurements. These drops are generally used in children and young adults and can also make the eyes blurry and sensitive to light.

Some drops are used to numb the eye and are used when the optometrist needs to touch your eye with an instrument.

Finally, some drops contain a dye that helps the optometrist see abnormalities on the surface of the eye.

Sometimes the strength of your contact lens prescription may be different from your glasses prescription because contact lenses fit closer to the eye. Contact lenses need to be properly fitted to your eyes in order to have a valid contact lens prescription.  If interested in contact lenses be sure to let us know, as Dr. Chhatwal has many years of experience in fitting contact lenses.

Pupillary distance (PD) is the distance between your pupils. It is one of the many measurements taken when glasses are being dispensed and helps to make sure that your lenses are properly centered in the frames. PD is not a part of a glasses prescription, as it is a measurement made as part of the spectacle dispensing process (i.e. when spectacles are ordered). A PD measurement can always be made at a patient’s request, but it does come along with a small dispensing fee as it is a function of the spectacle dispensary (FYI: You would only need a PD measurement if you were ordering spectacles from an unlicensed dispenser, such as an online dispensary).

Buying glasses and contacts over the internet can be an efficient and cost-effective solution. The issues arise when some online sources are dispensing prescription eyewear improperly, in some cases not requiring a valid prescription and not doing proper fittings of the corrective eyewear.  This can result in glasses and/or contact lenses that don’t work properly and therefor potentially causing vision problems. We strongly encourage you to work with a licensed dispenser (optometrist/optician) to be sure you’re getting dispensing done properly, as this is critical to a good visual result.

Simply request an appointment with us by phone, email, or via our online form (here).  Dr. Chhatwal will see you for your exam and, only if needed, we can easily request any documentation from another office with your consent.  Nothing is needed from your previous optometrist in advance of the appointment here.

Yes, we do.  We have a wide variety of spectacle options for all. Please visit our Spectacle Dispensing section to find out more about the brands that we carry.

Currently, no.  We do bill directly to OHIP for coverage under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.  For secondary insurance claims you are required to submit your paid receipts for service and/or dispensing products to your insurance provider. As it stands currently, the administrative burden for our office to direct bill your secondary insurance provider is just too hefty. This may change as the practice grows. We do accept debit, VISA, MasterCard, Interac e-transfer, cash, and cheque.

Generally, yearly eye exams are recommended.

Generally, we recommend that you give yourself an hour.  Most often it is less time than that, but the time in the office can be variable.

It is not critical that a patient actively participate in the exam. Dr. Chhatwal can make all the appropriate measurements for all patients without any participation at all.

If there are no obvious concerns earlier, Dr. Chhatwal recommends that the first eye exam be done around 6-12 months of age, and the second be done around 2.5 to 3 years of age, and yearly thereafter.

The newer machines are better than some of the older ones.  Our ‘air-puff’ test is not overly bothersome (as reported by the many patients who have undergone this procedure).  The ‘air-puff’ test helps Dr. Chhatwal to assess the risk of a patient developing a specific eye disease called glaucoma.

If you are having an eye or vision problem, whether it’s acute or chronic, your optometrist is your first stop for care.  Think of your optometrist as your family ‘eye’ doctor.  Of course, if your optometrist is unavailable then care may need to be sought elsewhere.  Dr. Chhatwal typically keeps tabs on our email inbox during the week (M-F even on ‘off’ days). So, if there is an emergency first call the office (519-669-2552) and if the office is not open please go to the Resources/Forms page and fill out the downloadable Triage Form and kindly send that completed form to us electronically. Alternatively, email us (woolwich.optometry@gmail.com) with the subject line indicating ‘Urgent’ and Dr. Chhatwal will address this issue once received.  If you do not hear back from Dr. Chhatwal in a timely manner, assume that the message has not yet been received, and if the issue is truly urgent please seek care with your family doctor or local ER.

Simply book an appointment and Dr. Chhatwal will review your case in terms of candidacy for contacts or LASER.  If your candidacy is good then Dr. Chhatwal will go over ‘next steps’ with you.