Most individuals who have lost an eye or even both eyes are candidates for prosthetic eyes. Medical causes for the loss of an eye can include glaucoma, retinal detachment or corneal dystrophy plus many others. There are also numerous accidental causes for eye loss including metal work or use of power saws without proper eye protection, auto accidents or other incidents involving broken glass. In children there are sometimes congenital disorders such as anophthalmia, microphthalmia and retinoblastoma that require an artificial eye or scheral shell.

The process of receiving a prosthetic or artificial eye is explained to patients at their first appointment, and all of their questions answered. The first appointment is important because it helps determine if the patient is truly a good candidate for prosthetic eyes. There are several reasons why a patient might not be a good candidate and these are assessed on a patient by patient basis.

Individuals who are deemed candidates for artificial eyes will frequently leave their first appointment, or sometimes the second, with a temporary prosthesis that looks good and gives them an idea of what they will look like. The custom made prosthetic that is handmade and matched to the other eye will look practically real and will actually fool most people.

The plastic that the prosthetic eyes are made from are good for eight years or more. Patients who have problems typically have prosthetic eyes that do not fit properly. When it comes to fitting and refitting the prosthetic, it is important to do so regularly because the soft tissue within the eye socket will expand as an individual wears the prosthetic eye. If the prosthetic eye does not fit the extra space then the body will with either scar tissue or by making the fomices of the eye socket shorter. It is important to prevent this from occurring through frequent fitting and refitting of the artificial eye.

There are other potential problems if the prosthesis is not big enough. In this case the eyelids might not work correctly and they will droop or ptosis will result. The side effects from an ill fitting prosthetic eye does not just happen, but rather occurs over time. That is why it is so important to have frequent checkups to ensure you are not experiencing any negative side effects. This is especially important for children because they grow so quickly that if their prosthetic eyes are not changed or enlarged on a regular basis then this could cause the face to have a lack of balance or prevent the bones from growing correctly.

In general, the best candidates for prosthetic eyes are those who have lost an eye to an accident or birth defect or those who have a diseased eye. The prosthetic eye is especially important for kids because it helps the socket grow as well as improves appearance and the child's self esteem. Conformers are used in children until their faces are fully developed and ready for a prosthetic eye. Although prosthetic eyes do not provide a patient with vision from that eye they do look real and make the face look balanced and natural. For them it is a step towards living a normal life.