Updated August 2026
Eye Expressions is a family-owned optometry practice and optical boutique at 7100 Fairway Drive, Suite 39, Palm Beach Gardens — on Fairway Drive just off PGA Boulevard, with parking at the door. Dr. Michael Nodland has practiced here since 2010, and he is the only optometrist, so the person who examines you this year is the person comparing it to next year.
Call (561) 799-3932 or request an appointment online. Exams are Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm. Saturday 9am to 2pm is optical hours — frames, order pickups and adjustments — rather than exam hours: there are no regular Saturday exam hours and the online scheduler does not offer Saturday, so a Saturday exam is something to ask about by phone. The full range of care is listed on the services page.
What should I bring to my first appointment?
Bring six things to Eye Expressions and your visit will run without hold-ups.
| What to bring | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Both insurance cards — vision plan and medical | Part of your visit may be billed to one and part to the other, and we cannot check what we cannot see |
| Photo ID | In case it is needed to match you to the policy on your insurance card |
| Your current glasses, and your contact lens boxes or prescription | Brand, base curve, diameter and power are printed on the boxes — they carry more information than people expect |
| A list of your medications, including over-the-counter ones | Antihistamines, blood pressure medication, antidepressants and steroids all affect the eyes, and dry eye is often medication-related |
| Sunglasses | Most patients are not dilated, but if you are, you will want them for the drive home |
| Prior records or imaging, if you have them | Old images and prescriptions give Dr. Nodland a comparison instead of a blank page |
What happens at my first visit?
A first visit usually moves through the same few stages, though the order and the content vary with what you came in for:
- Check-in and benefits. Your cards are verified and your coverage confirmed — usually this has already been done before you arrive.
- Preliminary testing. Measurements of your current prescription and your eye pressure. optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging is included with every comprehensive exam; where it falls within the visit varies.
- The exam with Dr. Nodland. Vision, focusing and alignment, the front of the eye, and any images taken.
- What he found and what it means. You see your own images on the screen while he explains them. Ask your questions here; this part of the visit is for you.
- The optical, if you need eyewear. Frames from Ray-Ban, Oakley, Maui Jim, Versace, Gold & Wood, Caviar, Leon Max and Flexon, and help choosing lenses.
optomap is included on every comprehensive exam rather than sold as an add-on, because Dr. Nodland considers it worth doing — for most patients it also means no dilating drops. The full explanation of what it shows and when drops are still used is on the eye exams page, along with what the exam itself involves.
Why can’t I use my vision plan for everything?
Because vision plans and medical insurance pay for different things, and which one applies depends on why you came in — not on which appointment you booked. A routine exam for new glasses or contacts goes to your vision plan. A red eye, an injury, dry eye, or the monitoring of diabetes, glaucoma or macular degeneration is a medical problem, so it goes to your medical insurance or Medicare, even if the visit started as a routine booking. You are told before the billing changes, not after.
This catches new patients more often than anything else on this page, so it is worth two minutes before you come in: the full breakdown, including a table of which visit goes to which insurer, is on the insurance page.
For an appointment booked ahead, we check your benefits before your visit and send you an estimated copay, so you know the number before you are standing at the desk.
Should I plan for dilating drops on my first visit?
Plan for the possibility, but do not assume it: for most patients optomap ultra-widefield imaging means an exam without dilating drops, and dilation is used when a closer look is needed, in which case Dr. Nodland will tell you beforehand. Bring sunglasses and, if you would rather not drive afterward, a lift — that is the whole preparation. The full explanation of optomap and dilation is on the eye exams page.
I’m switching from another practice. How do I move my records?
You are entitled to a copy of your glasses prescription and, once a fitting is complete, your contact lens prescription. Your previous provider has to release them to you, and you do not have to explain why you want them.
Bring copies of anything else you have — prior retinal images, visual field results, notes on a condition being monitored. In eye care the question is usually “has this changed?”
The prescription itself is the simple part: you do not need to have had your exam here for us to fill one. Bring a prescription written at another practice and we’ll fill it. Otherwise, plan on carrying your own paperwork over rather than expecting it to arrive ahead of you.
Do you see children?
Dr. Nodland sees children from age 6. For anything younger, he’ll point you to a pediatric optometrist — they have equipment and techniques built for infants and toddlers, and that’s the right place to start. See pediatric eye exams for what a child’s visit involves.
Do I need to fill out forms before I come in?
Plan on completing your paperwork at the practice unless you are told otherwise when you book. Medical history, insurance details and consent forms are standard.
Which insurance plans do you accept?
Eye Expressions accepts Medicare, VSP, EyeMed, Humana, Aetna, Anthem, Blue View Vision, MetLife, Superior Vision, Davis Vision and Advantica.
Plan networks vary — being covered by one of these carriers is not the same as your specific plan being one we are contracted with. Call (561) 799-3932 with your card and we will check before you come in. What each type of plan covers is set out on the insurance page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I book a Saturday exam? The scheduler will not offer you one, and there are no regular Saturday exam hours to book into, so a Saturday exam has to be asked for on the phone: (561) 799-3932. What Saturday reliably gets you is the optical, 9am to 2pm — browsing frames, picking up an order, having a pair adjusted.
What if I don’t have vision insurance? You are still welcome. A comprehensive eye exam is $179 if you are paying for yourself, with optomap ultra-widefield retinal imaging included in that fee.
Will I get my prescription to take with me? Yes. Your glasses prescription is yours and you can fill it anywhere.
Do I need a referral? No. You can book directly, including for a medical eye problem. Some Medicare Advantage and HMO plans have their own referral rules, which we check when we verify your benefits.
Book your first visit
Call (561) 799-3932 or book online.
Eye Expressions · 7100 Fairway Drive, Suite 39, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418 — on Fairway Drive just off PGA Boulevard, with parking at the door. Monday–Friday 10am–6pm · Saturday 9am–2pm (optical) · Family-owned since 2010 · 5.0 stars from around 500 Google reviews