Meet the Doctor

Hi everyone, I’m Dr. Puneet Aulakh—pronounced “Au-luck,” or just Dr. A!

My family moved to Bellevue on November 1, 1988. Yes, the day after Halloween! As a 10-year-old, I was severely disappointed that I had just missed out on bags full of candy. Maybe that’s why I ended up becoming a dentist.

I went to Tyee Middle School and Newport High before graduating from Lindbergh and going to the University of Washington. I earned my DDS from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2005. After dental school, I practiced in Detroit, Kent and Auburn and spent time at a public clinic in Longview while building my practice back in the community where I grew up.

Dentistry keeps changing, so I keep learning.

New materials, technology and techniques are constantly changing what we can do for patients. I’ve always felt that if I’m going to offer a procedure, I should understand it well and continue learning from people who are really good at it.

Over the years, I’ve been involved in several study groups, including the Washington AGD Mastertrack, Redmond Tucker Gold Study Group and Interdisciplinary Study Group Northwest. In 2011, I earned my Fellowship in the AGD, followed by my Mastership in 2014. Mastership requires 1,100 hours of continuing education across 16 disciplines, including at least 400 hours of hands-on participation.

For me, the point of all that education isn’t collecting letters after my name. It’s being able to provide a broad range of care, understand different treatment options, and know when a patient would be better served by a specialist.

I also spend a fair amount of time involved in organized dentistry.

I currently serve on the Board of Directors of the Washington State Dental Association (WSDA) and as a Trustee for the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), representing Region 11—Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. I’ve also been involved with the Washington Academy of General Dentistry for many years, including serving as its President.

A lot of this work happens behind the scenes—continuing education, advocacy, workforce issues, insurance, regulations and trying to make dentistry better for both patients and dentists. I think it’s important to be involved in the profession rather than simply show up to the office every day and go home.It has also given me the opportunity to work with and learn from a lot of really good dentists from around the country and bring some of those ideas back to Bannerwood.

Ultimately, I volunteer because I believe a stronger dental profession leads to better care for our patients and our communities.

Outside the office

Most of my time outside the office is spent with family, friends, and whatever activities my kids have going on. As the parent of 7- and 10-year-old girls, I’m still amazed by how many activities kids have these days. I feel like I spend half my free time driving them to things my parents definitely never drove me to.  It’s also been interesting to watch Bellevue change so much since I was a kid.

If you have a question about our office or your dental care, feel free to call, email or ask me when you’re here. I’m always happy to talk through things.