At 14, Alec Hall posed a simple question from the backseat of his dad’s car. 

“Well, why can’t I?” he asked.

“Well, I don’t know,” replied Brian Hall, Alec’s father, from the front seat. “Well, let’s just see if you get in.”

Alec was asking his father if he could apply to college at such a young age. He had begun his freshman year of high school just two years earlier, at 12.

By the time he was a junior, Alec was taking classes at Piedmont University and applying to the University of Georgia after his parents gave him permission. A year later, at 15, he was enrolled as a full-time microbiology student at UGA.

“I didn’t even know that that was a hard thing to do. I was just kinda like ‘Ah, I gotta fill out this application stuff,’” Alec Hall said. “When you’re that little you just kind of follow whatever you’re told to do.”

 Why It’s Newsworthy: Alec Hall has led a unique life, starting college at 15, earning a degree at 19. He now works alongside his father as a dentist at Hall Dental in Watkinsville.  

Beginnings

Growing up, Alec was homeschooled. This put him on an unconventional educational path. He skipped kindergarten, third grade and his senior year of high school allowing for his accelerated college start. Fortunately, he knew early on he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps.

When he was 19, Alec Hall took his last final at UGA. The next day, he got married. He began dental school at 21, and by 25, his plans of working at the family practice came to fruition. He was working at Hall Dental alongside his father, becoming part owner of the practice, just as his father had done years before. 

Family Business

According to Brian Hall, the addition of his son has been nothing but beneficial for the practice. 

“One of the best things he brought in is culture,” Brian Hall said. “He’s really wanted to build our staff culture so we have a healthier culture, people that like working here.”

In his four years at Hall Dental, Alec Hall has worked to create a more cohesive team, hiring staff that fosters trust between staff and patients. Haley Avino, a junior at UGA and dental shadow to Brian Hall, said that Hall Dental is unlike other dental offices she had worked at. She said that there is a greater focus on the comfort and connections with their patients.

“Their whole office culture kind of has, like a more familial vibe, like everyone’s super friendly with each other,” Avino said. 

But Alec Hall brought another change to the practice as well. He specializes in an esthetic treatment called composite resin veneers. Unlike traditional veneers, composite resin veneers don’t require your teeth to be shaved down, making the process completely non-invasive.

“It’s really cool procedure, and there’s only, I only know of, like, 300 dentists in the world that are doing it this way,” Alec Hall said. 

In an attempt to share this procedure with new audiences, Alec Hall has brought the family practice to social media. Using before and after photos he takes in a special room in the office, he showcases his patient’s smiles on Instagram. Those willing to share their teeth on his page receive a discount on their composite resin veneers. He says he prefers this sort of esthetic work because of its rewarding nature.

“When you do esthetic work, they’re coming because they want to be there,” Alec Hall said.

The Next Generation

Today, Alec Hall has four kids of his own who he plans to homeschool just as he was. While he’s not sure if his kids will become dentists, he says it’s certainly a possibility. According to Alex Hall, his eldest son is already displaying signs of becoming a good dentist, however at 5 years old, it’s hard to tell just yet. 

“I don’t want to pressure anyone into dentistry, because dentistry is a ridiculously hard and challenging field,” Alec Hall said. “You don’t always get a lot of positive feedback from people. It can wear on you, and so you definitely want to know you want to do it.”

As for sending his kids off to college at 15, Alec Hall says he doesn’t plan on it. 

“Looking back, I wouldn’t do that to my kids, just because I think that you’re too young for the social aspect of it, and then college was really hard,” Alec Hall said. 

Looking ahead, Hall Dental is gearing up for growth. The father-son pair plans to expand into a larger space and bring more family into the practice. Alec Hall’s brother, currently a freshman in dental school, intends to join after graduation, while his sister, a freshman in hygienist school, is set to follow suit.

Jill Ward is a junior majoring in journalism and international affairs with a minor in business.