The key to understanding changes in the distribution of dentists through time is organizing and understanding the location decisions of recent graduates and dentists leaving the armed forces and federal service. New graduates represented approximately 57% of the new practices located between 1976 and 1979, and dentists in institutional service represented 21% of all movers. The migration rate among private practicing dentists who remain in private practice is roughly one-third the rate among all dentists. Further, practitioners who do move do not move very far. The proportion of interstate moves among all private practitioners that moved was only 28%. Apparently, migration among private practicing dentists is a statistically negligible phenomenon, at least in the short run. In contrast, more than 5,000 people have graduated from dental school each year since 1976. Of these, the majority immediately enter private practice, with most of the remainder split between specialty education and some form of institutional practice. Within approximately five years, the transition of the graduation cohort is largely complete. In the three years studied, the number of dentists entering private practice from either dental school or institutional practice is roughly four times the number of private practicing dentists who relocated. Few dentists in private practice do not own or share in the ownership of the practice where they treat patients. Although a higher percentage of the younger, less experienced dentists are in salaried, commissioned, or associate positions compared with all dentists, the majority assumes ownership positions soon after leaving dental school.