ABO NOCE Basic Opticianry Frame Adjustment Techniques by Material 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient with a high nose bridge returns because their plastic frame slides down constantly. The MOST appropriate adjustment to improve retention is to:
- Tighten the temple screws as much as possible
- Warm the nose area and close/narrow the bridge or increase pad arm inset to raise the frame on the nose (Correct answer)
- Replace the frame with a metal pad-style frame
- Advise the patient to use an anti-slip spray
Correct answer: Warm the nose area and close/narrow the bridge or increase pad arm inset to raise the frame on the nose
Warming the bridge area of a plastic frame allows the bridge or built-in pads to be repositioned to better grip the nose and reduce sliding.
Question 2: When using a salt pan to heat an acetate frame, the optimal salt temperature range is approximately:
- 80–100°F (27–38°C)
- 130–140°F (54–60°C) (Correct answer)
- 180–200°F (82–93°C)
- 250–270°F (121–132°C)
Correct answer: 130–140°F (54–60°C)
A salt pan maintained at 130–140°F provides sufficient heat to soften acetate for adjustment without scorching or deforming the material.
Question 3: A patient whose temple is too long experiences the classic complaint of:
- The frame sitting too low and the lenses not aligning with the eyes
- Pressure behind the ear from the temple tip digging into the skin
- The frame sliding down the nose because the temples angle downward too much (Correct answer)
- The lenses tilting away from the face, increasing vertex distance
Correct answer: The frame sliding down the nose because the temples angle downward too much
When a temple is too long, the bend rides too far down the ear, causing the temple to angle the frame downward and making it slide forward on the nose.
Question 4: What is the risk of over-heating a zyl (acetate) frame during adjustment?
- The frame will become permanently flexible and lose shape retention
- Surface bubbling, scorching, color fading, or permanent distortion of the frame (Correct answer)
- The lenses will pop out from thermal expansion of the eye wire
- The screws will seize in the barrel due to metal expansion
Correct answer: Surface bubbling, scorching, color fading, or permanent distortion of the frame
Excessive heat causes acetate to bubble, scorch, lose its surface sheen, or warp permanently, ruining the frame beyond repair.
Question 5: An optician needs to increase the pantoscopic tilt on a metal frame. The correct approach is to:
- Use angling pliers on the temples after heating them with a torch
- Adjust the end piece angle with appropriate pliers while the frame is at room temperature (Correct answer)
- Heat the entire frame front in a salt pan before adjusting the tilt
- Replace the nose pads with angled pads to simulate increased tilt
Correct answer: Adjust the end piece angle with appropriate pliers while the frame is at room temperature
On metal frames, pantoscopic tilt is adjusted by rotating the end piece (where the temple connects to the front) using angling pliers at room temperature—no heat is needed.
Question 6: A patient's frame has a cable temple (riding bow). Which patient population most commonly uses this temple style, and what adjustment consideration is unique to it?
- Athletes; it must be replaced after every sport activity
- Young children and patients who wear hearing aids; the coiled end must be carefully adjusted to clear the ear without pressure on the hearing aid (Correct answer)
- Elderly patients; the cable cannot be adjusted and must be replaced if ill-fitting
- Patients with asymmetrical ears; the cable must be cut to length in the office
Correct answer: Young children and patients who wear hearing aids; the coiled end must be carefully adjusted to clear the ear without pressure on the hearing aid
Cable (riding bow) temples coil around and under the ear and are commonly used for young children and hearing aid wearers; the coiled portion must be adjusted to avoid interference with devices or discomfort.
Question 7: After adjusting a metal frame to correct a vertex distance issue, the optician should verify the final fitting by checking:
- That the frame color matches the patient's skin tone at the new position
- That the optical centers align with the patient's pupils, the frame is level, and the vertex distance matches the prescribed value (Correct answer)
- That the weight of the frame has not increased due to the adjustment
- That the frame screws were not loosened during the nose pad adjustment
Correct answer: That the optical centers align with the patient's pupils, the frame is level, and the vertex distance matches the prescribed value
Post-adjustment verification must confirm that the optical centers are properly aligned with the pupils, the frame front is level, and vertex distance meets the prescribed requirement for the lens power.
ABO NOCE Basic Opticianry Frame Adjustment Techniques by Material 5
A patient with a high nose bridge returns because their plastic frame slides down constantly.
The MOST appropriate adjustment to improve retention is to: