Dr. Puranik is an Assistant Professor and Director of Predoctoral Education in the department of Pediatric Dentistry at the University of Colorado’s School of Dental Medicine. He is also an attending and Residency Program Director (Interim) at the Children’s Hospital Colorado’s Pediatric Dentistry Residency Program. He received his dental degree from the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences, India. He completed his Master of Science degree in Dental Biomaterials from The State University of New York at Buffalo. Later, he earned his doctoral degree in Oral Biology and a Certificate in Operative Dentistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH). Dr. Puranik earned his certificate in Pediatric Dentistry from the University of Connecticut (UConn). Dr. Puranik completed his postdoctoral fellowship in a Cariology and Craniofacial Biology at UNC-CH and UConn, respectively.

Given these enriched educational experiences at different US Universities and dental schools, Dr. Puranik has in-depth knowledge about various residency and post-doctoral programs. He is also well-versed with specialty dental licensure pathways in various US states and is licensed to practice dentistry in the states of Colorado, Virginia, Texas, and Washington. He has successfully published numerous peer-review abstracts, articles, book chapters, and two innovative US patents. He has also served as a research mentor for more than 50 pre- and post-doctoral dental students on diverse topics such as cariology, dental materials, autism, developmental anomalies, and pedagogy. He is currently working on restorative dental materials that prevent dental plaque and caries while regenerating the dental pulp. He also serves on various leadership positions at the state, national, and international levels including the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, and the American Dental Education Association.