Life Reimagined: Dr. Kyle O’Hara’s Journey Toward Rural Service
For years, academics stood as the greatest obstacle on Dr. Kyle O’Hara’s path to dentistry. He struggled in high school not from a lack of ability, but from a lack of direction. “I didn’t apply myself,” he admits. It wasn’t until age 23 that he enrolled in college, and even then the road wasn’t smooth. It took a full year to develop the habits and discipline needed to succeed. But once he did, he didn’t look back.
His academic turnaround carried him through college and into dental school. What once felt insurmountable became a source of strength. By the time he earned his degree at 34, the challenges had shifted from coursework to the financial reality of over $400,000 in student loan debt. “I knew I had a limited window to start building the life I wanted,” he says. “The pressure was constant.”
Homeownership, family and retirement all felt out of reach. But then came the Provider Incentive Program.
The Oregon Provider Incentive Program offered more than financial assistance. For Dr. O’Hara, it was a chance to choose a career rooted in purpose without sacrificing a stable future. He accepted a position in a rural community along the southern Oregon coast, an area where dental providers were few and need was high.
Within months of starting practice, the program’s impact became clear. He was no longer consumed by loan anxiety. He bought a home. He got married. He welcomed twin daughters. “Believe it or not,” he says with a smile, “I even started saving for retirement.”
But the transformation didn’t stop at home. In his community, he quickly became the only full-time dental provider. The work demanded more than clinical skill. It required leadership, empathy and adaptability. “I’m not just treating cavities,” he explains. “I’m advocating for patients who might otherwise fall through the cracks.”
Dr. O’Hara began collaborating closely with local medical providers, schools and public health programs working to expand access to care and promote oral health education. Without nearby specialists, he expanded his scope to include endodontics and oral surgery, doing whatever was necessary to serve patients who couldn’t travel long distances for care. “I realized that if I didn’t do it, no one would.”
Practicing in a rural area comes with a unique set of challenges, ones that providers in urban settings may never have to face.
Appointments are booked out as far as a year in advance. Many patients can’t afford to wait, but with no other dentists nearby, there are few options. “It complicates everything, treatment planning, disease progression, follow-up,” Dr. O’Hara says. “We do our best, but the system is stretched thin.”
Referring patients to specialists is equally difficult. Urban providers might send someone across town. Here, it could mean driving hours if the patient even owns a car. For many, it’s simply not an option.
Socioeconomic barriers also loom large. A significant portion of his patient base is uninsured or underinsured. Some struggle with housing instability or lack of transportation. “The need is everywhere, and it’s layered,” he explains. “You learn to approach care with flexibility and compassion.”
Despite the demands, Dr. O’Hara wouldn’t trade the experience. “This work grounds me,” he says. “The relationships, the gratitude; it’s unlike anything I imagined when I started this journey.”
The Provider Incentive Program didn’t just relieve his financial burden; it made it possible to live and work in a place where he could have real impact. It gave him the freedom to choose service without sacrificing security. “Without this program, I don’t know how I would have made it all work.”
Today, he continues to serve as the only dentist in his town, anchoring oral health for the entire community. And he’s just getting started.
When asked what he would say to others considering rural practice or to decision-makers evaluating the future of programs like this, his answer is simple: “Come see it for yourself. Spend time in these communities. You can’t understand the value of this work from behind a desk. But when you see the need, when you meet the people, it changes you.”
In the end, it wasn’t just about paying off loans. It was about building a life that matters. “The program gave me the chance to serve and the support to thrive while doing it.”