Recognizing the MVP of the Team Dentist Program

Alumni Gather to Thank Mrs. Helen Hall

On Saturday, May 20, alumni and friends of Ohio State’s Team Dentist program gathered in the Atrium at Postle Hall to pay tribute to Helen Hall. Her long-time support of sports dentistry includes scholarships for dental students and events that promote the program and celebrate its achievements. Mrs. Hall’s late husband, Allen Hall, ’55 DDS, served as the college’s assistant dean for Academic Affairs, and he became Ohio State’s first team dentist in 1968.

“Sharing her husband’s vision, Mrs. Hall has made it possible for the program to do more than just continue; she has given in ways that have helped the program flourish,” Dean Trotman said in her welcome remarks. “Thanks to Mrs. Hall and her determination to ‘pay it forward,’ the university’s student athletes benefit from this program as they receive protective dental equipment and expert care provided by dental students under faculty supervision.”

Debra Mendel, ’87 DDS, an associate professor in the Division of Restorative and Prosthetic Dentistry, has served as Ohio State’s team dentist since 2000, working with more than 50 student team dentists over the years and helping produce more than 40,000 mouth guards for Buckeye athletes. Thanking Mrs. Hall for her unwavering support, Dr. Mendel spoke about what the program has meant to her. “Sports Dentistry has played a major role in my career—it has become my dental niche,” she said. “With this came the privilege to treat the dental needs of the athletes, teach sports dentistry to our dental students and, most importantly, become close to our student team dentists each year.”