Should Your Dentist Wear a Snow White Lab Coat?

According to a study done at the Division of Pediatric Dentistry, Department of Pediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics, King Saud University, College of Dentistry, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, more than half of the children that filled out a survey of dental care indicated that they liked their visit at the dentist.  Only a small amount over 10% of the didn't like their dental visit.  Now that's really good news.  What seems to be even more important is that 90% of the children preferred their dentist to wear a white coat.

This is the same information that a study in the Department of Pediatric Dentistry at Leeds Dental Institute in England gave in 2009.  In that study parents favored traditional dress as it gives an air of professionalism and children preferred dental students in casual attire, both children and parents ranked formal white in favour of a pediatric coat.  I guess that's somewhat of a stereotype in the dental world.

Going back a couple of years again, at the Edinburgh Postgraduate Dental Institute, an overwhelming opinion in an 188 question survey, was that smart dress accompanied with a white coat was most appropriate for their dentist.

Is this sterotyping a dentist or is this a bit of profiling?

RECOMMENDED CLOTHING