Introduction: New dental graduates' (NDGs) transition to professional practice is an important landmark and developmental stage in their career and in the UK it is supported by a formal educational transition process through a one‐year salaried practice‐based programme. However, little is known about graduates' experiences during this period. As part of a larger mixed‐methods project, this study aimed to explore NDGs' experiences during their transition to professional practice, represented by Vocational Dental Practice. Materials and Methods: Sixty‐six NDGs from one dental school were invited to participate. Two rounds of in‐depth interviews were conducted: Interview 1 upon NDGs' graduation and then Interview 2 was a follow‐up interview after they had spent six‐nine months in vocational dental training (VDT). At Interview 1, a subset of participants agreed to record longitudinal audio‐diaries (LADs) and continued these for 6–9 months into VDT. Data from the interviews and LADs were analysed together using a thematic analysis approach. Results: Eleven of the 66 invited NDGs agreed to be interviewed at Interview 1 (16.6%), seven at Interview2 (10.6%), and six (9.2%) recorded LADs. Four topic summaries were developed around NDGs transition experiences: (1) conceptualisation of the process; (2) responses to the transition, (3) challenges and support and (4) relationships with stakeholders. Conclusion: NDGs' transition to professional practice was perceived as exciting and rewarding on personal and professional levels but carried challenges. VDT and related stakeholders play a vital role of supporting NDGs into their new professional life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]