The white coat has its roots in the Arabic word ‘qamiç’, meaning a tunic, a long, white linen underrobe worn by priests during the celebration of divine offices, but also in the Greek word ‘kámasos’, a square-shaped, sleeveless garment made of cotton, linen, or silk. The ancient Romans used it as an undergarment and adopted the Hellenic name. The first ones were beige, then they took on various colors depending on the activity of professionals and artists. However, the first person to wear a white coat was not a doctor.
If an investigation was made of the story, facts, psychological aspects, colors, shape, times of use, regulations on the fabric etc. among ‘insiders’, few would be able to answer, as they would refer to personal habits or generalized customs. And yet, behind the white coat or mismatched outfit–an item of clothing which, according to an authoritative insider, ‘is given the same attention as a shoelace’–rises a wide range of reflections, some of which could even take us far; to various surprises, in any case. We will discover them a bit at a time through the various chapters of this text. Let us say right away that we will disregard the countless types of scrubs currently used in various trades and/or professions. We will focus on the role played by the white coat in the doctor-patient relationship and, in more detail, in the odontologist-patient relationship.
Table of contents:
CHAPTER 1 - GAMES OF THE UNCONSCIOUS
CHAPTER 2 - REMBRANDT’S HAT
CHAPTER 3 - A TRIPLE SYMBOL
CHAPTER 4 - THE WHITE COAT CEREMONY
CHAPTER 5 - WITH OR WITHOUT A WHITE COAT?
CHAPTER 6 - FROM STARS ...
CHAPTER 7 - ... TO STARLETS
CHAPTER 8 - YOU CANNOT JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER
CHAPTER 9 - DOES THE WHITE COAT DEFINE A DOCTOR?
CHAPTER 10 - YOU CAN TELL A COUNTRY BY ITS MEDICAL UNIFORM
CHAPTER 11 - THE NOBLE VOICE OF ITALIAN DENTISTRY
CHAPTER 12 - ‘UNDER THE WHITE COAT’
CHAPTER 13 - DEVICE OR NOT DEVICE?
CHAPTER 14 - THE DIFFICULT CHOICE BETWEEN A MEDICAL DEVICE (MD) AND A PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
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Specific References
The white coat has its roots in the Arabic word ‘qamiç’, meaning a tunic, a long, white linen underrobe worn by priests during the celebration of divine offices, but also in the Greek word ‘kámasos’, a square-shaped, sleeveless garment made of cotton, linen, or silk. The ancient Romans used it as an undergarment and adopted the Hellenic name. The first ones were beige, then they took on various colors depending on the activity of professionals and artists. However, the first person to wear a white coat was not a doctor.
