The Glass Eye in the 21st Century

The term glass eye is still often used, even though glass is no longer the material of choice for making prosthetic – or artificial – eyes. Glass was one of the original materials, though, and because of that many people still use the term glass eye. Despite what they re called, these eyes provide a lot of aesthetic benefit for people who need them because they ve lost an eye to injury or disease. Some people also get a prosthetic eye because they have a birth defect and were born without an eye or with an eye that was severely deformed and didn t work properly.

These ocular prostheses are designed to fit the person wearing them specifically. In the past glass eyes were made in batches and they were used without much refinement to fit a specific socket. There was some filing and adjustment that could be done, but that was about it – and it often wasn t enough to really provide a good fit. The eye could come out if the person s face was moved around, such as while washing, or in a fight, an accident, or other movement. This didn t happen all of the time, but it was a real possibility.

As artificial eyes were studied and the field evolved, glass wasn t used anymore, and acrylics and plastics were used more and more frequently. People who created the eyes also got much better at making them fit properly. The eye socket could be used as an actual mold for the new prosthetic eye by using a substance similar to what is used to make impressions for dental appliances. By placing that material fully into the eye socket, allowing it to harden for a specific amount of time, and then removing it, the maker of the prosthetic eye could get a clear impression of the exact shape and size of the eye in order to specifically fit that patient properly.

Prosthetic eyes can be somewhat expensive, but insurance generally covers at least most of the cost for people who need them. For those without insurance, there are some less expensive options that can be chosen. These might not fit as exactly as the more costly models, but they will still remain in place well and look acceptable because they will closely match the color of the patient s natural eye. There are many things that can be done with artificial eyes in the 21st century that couldn t have been done even a few short years ago, and that s great news for patients who need these kinds of prosthetics.

No matter why a person has come to need a prosthetic eye, there are doctors who can help them find what s needed both for comfort and for aesthetic. Before the invention of the glass eye, the only option to protect the socket was an eye patch. Most people felt uncomfortable with these because they were so obvious and not aesthetically pleasing, but the creation and development of the modern artificial eye has put an end to all of that, much to the joy of many ocular prosthesis patients.