My lens has gotten scratched. Can it be fixed or replaced?

Was on vacation at the ocean. Very windy. Though I tried to be careful, the lens got a number of scratches. It may be that ir effected the coating, but I'm not sure if any are deeper than that. I just love my camera & am sick about this. Can it be fixed?

This isn't a good sign. I found this:

The scratch on your lens will not be cheap to fix. Essentially what has to happen when repair is attempted is the following.
1) the lens needs to be completely dismantled & each lens element (piece of glass or plastic) examined to determine where the scratch is. If the scratch is in the front element ( the one closest to the outside of the lens, there will be what is called a multi-coating on it. this will have to be removed to attempt any repair.
2) once the scratched element is located the scratch will require that the element be either repolished, reground or replaced.
3) once repaired the whole lens has to be re-assembled and the individual lens elements relaminated into their respective groupings. This is what makes it so expensive & unless the elements align perfectly with the way they were before (which is nigh on impossible) you will not get the same results as before.
You should also note that normal warranty will NOT cover scratches on the lens as this is classified by the manufacturer as customer abuse of the item. if it is an expensive camera I would actually consider putting a claim in on your insurance. if it is a "budget' camera just replace it

You could try an optical lens polishing kit. Light scratches can often be buffed out this way. These kits usually cost ten to twenty dollars. They are available at your optometrist's office or at your local department store. Or, you can check the Internet to see what is available for sale online. Be sure you read the instructions on the scratch removing kit before you buy it! Some polishes won't work properly on lenses with protective coatings.

Here's a few other budget options - but understand I have NEVER tried these and don't vouch for how successful these may or may not be:

Believe it or not, some have used toothpaste to clean an lens element and remove light scratches. Some have also used cigarette ash as a light abrasive to clean scratches off lenses. Use it with Nikon lens pen tip.

Another option is a microfiber cloth.

But BE WARNED. Study up on any of these cheap remedies before you attempt it. Follow directions to the letter to prevent making the scratches worse and not better. Research it.

If it's really into the coating, let a professional do it.

Thank you so much. Your brilliant! With your advise I was able to salvage my camera. It needed to be cleaned with a light abrasive. You rock & thoroughly answered my question..And gave me an answer.
Kim

Happy to help, Kim. I'm just glad it worked for you.

BTW, Kim, I noticed that you haven't marked any replies as the "best answer." Are you still looking for an answer? If so, I recommend you re-submit it on http://www.digitalcamera-hq.com so it will have a better chance of being noticed. These days it looks like most questions are being answered within a few days.