Little is known about the nature of clinical teacher identity among clinical dental instructors. In broader education research, teacher identity is recognized as a central organizing element in the life of a teacher and a source of motivation to persist in teaching and become better at it. The awareness of and research into clinical teacher identity in health professions education is also increasing, although there is little identity scholarship in dentistry or dental academia. This qualitative study sought to explore how early mid-career clinical dental instructors make sense of themselves as teachers. Five early mid-career clinical dental instructors participated in a series of semi-structured interviews about clinical teaching. Additionally, eight former and current dental students of these educators participated in a series of focus groups to provide an external perspective on faculty members' experiences. Re-interpretation of interviews with educators and conversations with their students revealed that educators' identities were complex, fluid, and influenced by various social, contextual, and emotional dimensions. The findings of the study suggest potential directions for strengthening the pathways of entry into dental academia and retention of early mid-career dental faculty. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]