SightGlass Vision DOT lenses: parents' guide

• SightGlass Vision DOT™ lenses provide clear vision and slow myopia worsening in children through Diffusion Optics Technology™ (DOT), slowing excessive eye growth and reducing the frequency of prescription changes in glasses.
• DOT lenses look and function much like regular glasses, making them suitable for many children. They require consistent, full-time wear to deliver best results in slowing the worsening of myopia.
• Clinical studies endorse the effectiveness and benefits of DOT lenses, making them a dependable option for protecting your child’s vision now and into the future.

Myopia, or short-sightedness, causes blurred distance vision. Childhood myopia develops when the eyes grow too quickly compared to the expected rate in childhood. Wearing SightGlass Vision DOT^™ lenses helps to slow myopia progression by slowing the rate of this excessive eyeball growth.

SightGlass Vision DOT lenses are a new generation glasses (spectacle) lens designed to slow myopia progression in children 6-14 years of age. Developed in 2018, SightGlass Vision DOT lenses are an innovation based on contrast theory¹ – a different principle compared to most other lenses used for myopia control (optical defocus theory).

Let’s look at how these lenses work.

Standard spectacle lenses only work for vision correction – providing clear vision, but no protection against future worsening of myopia.

DOT™ lenses give kids clear vision and also use Diffusion Optics Technology™.

This technology is based on the contrast theory of myopia – that when the eye is overstimulated by high or artificial contrast images (e.g. from reading books or viewing electronic screens), and has less exposure to lower or more natural contrast images (such as outdoor, nature scenes), it may signal the eye to grow too quickly, leading to worsening myopia.¹ The innovation behind DOT lenses is Diffusion Optics Technology (DOT), which filters artificial contrast to mimic more natural contrast.²

Each SightGlass Vision DOT lens has a large treatment zone, where thousands of microscopic dots are scattered across the lens. These dots are designed to softly diffuse light that passes through it, evening out the level of contrast seen by the eye, but don’t significantly interfere with the quality or clarity of vision.³ 

Think of it like adjusting a lamp so that it casts a softer glow rather than a harsh spotlight. By reducing artificially high levels of contrast, the signals that drive myopia to get worse are weakened.

There is also a central portion of the lens which is free of microdots, for lens power measurement. Children can see well throughout the treatment zone and throughout the lens. Thanks to this design, it is possible for the lens to give your child clear vision by correcting myopia, as well as slowing down the worsening of myopia.

DOT™ lenses are suitable for children with a wide range of prescriptions, from mild myopia to high myopia, and including those who have astigmatism. 

The lenses are made in impact-resistant Trivex material, have built-in UV protection, and an anti-scratch coating.⁴ Further customization is available, as the lenses can be ordered with an embedded photochromic layer (i.e, Transitions® Signature® Gen 8™) and/or anti-reflective coating. 

If your child is nearsighted, they’ll require glasses (spectacles) or contact lenses to see clearly. Choosing between SightGlass Vision DOT™ glasses or specialized contact lenses (both of which can slow down myopia worsening in kids) typically depends on factors like your child’s lifestyle, hobbies, and your family preferences. Each approach has unique advantages, so some children even wear both on alternative days – not at the same time!

DOT lens glasses are simple, familiar, and convenient — put them on in the morning, wear them through daily activities, and take them off at bedtime. 

Younger children might find it easier to wear glasses compared to contact lenses, which require careful handling and good hygiene habits to reduce the risk of eye infection. On the other hand, older or more responsible kids may prefer contact lenses for sports, outdoor activities, or for improved appearance. 

The availability of treatments to slow progressive myopia in children also varies by country. Ultimately, picking the right option will come down to a discussion between you, your child, and their optometrist or eye doctor.

The effectiveness and safety of DOT™ lenses are supported by the results of the CYPRESS research study in North America, where children began wearing SightGlass Vision DOT lenses aged 6 to 10 years old and wore them for four years.⁵ In this study, SightGlass Vision DOT lenses were found to:

• Slow eye growth by at least half²
• Reduce the worsening of myopia by almost 0.40 (2 steps) compared to those wearing single-vision lenses over 1 year²
• Continue to slow eye growth and myopia progression over 4 years⁵

These results were achieved in children who wore their glasses on average over 13 hours a day, 7 days per week. Compared to wearing single vision glasses, both eye growth and worsening of myopia were slowed by about half. 

This is the first spectacle lens to show that it is effective for children as young as 6 years old, with other lenses showing evidence from age 8. This is important as younger children typically have the most rapid changes in myopia⁶, and benefit the most from starting myopia control early.⁷

SightGlass Vision DOT™ lenses are designed to slow your child’s myopia while also giving them clear vision, similar to the vision in standard single vision glasses.

DOT lenses are easy to wear, safe, and well-accepted by children.² Because the dot elements are built into the lens itself, children don’t typically notice any visible differences. Studies show no difference in image clarity compared to regular, single vision glasses over 4 years, and children still have 20/20 vision with DOT lenses.⁵

It can sometimes take time to get used to new glasses. While some children will adapt straight away, others may take 1-2 weeks to feel ‘as usual’ in these special glasses. While getting used to the lenses, your child may notice the vision feels a bit ‘different’, due to the specialized treatment parts of the lens which give it the ability to slow down myopia.⁴

Wearing time is very important when using SightGlass Vision DOT™ lenses to treat myopia. 

SightGlass Vision recommends “children to wear their DOT spectacle lenses for all waking hours and for all activities except swimming or contact sports.”⁸ According to the study, children who wore DOT glasses at least 10 hours per day and didn’t remove their glasses for close-up vision activities (like reading or screen time) experienced the best benefits from the lenses.⁵

This rule is the same whether your child is wearing spectacles or contact lenses for myopia. Myopia treatments work best when worn full-time and every day.⁹ If the lenses are not being worn or being worn for a shorter period of time each day (e.g. just at school and not at home), then the level of effectiveness will likely be reduced.

Developed from years of clinical research, SightGlass Vision DOT™ lenses use Diffusion Optics Technology™ to give your child clear, stable vision while actively reducing myopia progression. Ask your optometrist or eye doctor whether DOT lenses are available in your country, determine your child’s suitability, and answer any questions you may have on kids, glasses and myopia.

Product disclaimer: DOT lenses are currently not available in the US but are available in selected countries outside the US.