Crafting Wholeness

In dental school, Joseph DiFazio, Class of 1978, had a single lecture on palatal defects. And the faculty told them that they would likely never see such cases.

Just a year and a half later, DiFazio did.

Serving in the Navy, DiFazio met a retired colonel who had lost half his palate after cancer treatment. “I had no idea what to do,” he recalled. His colleagues didn’t either; the patient was quickly referred to a VA hospital.

That moment set the trajectory for the rest of DiFazio's career. Today, he serves as President of the American Academy of Maxillofacial Prosthetics (AAMP). 

Dentistry had drawn him in early. His mother worked for a dentist whose warmth and communication impressed him, and his own artistic eye made the field feel like a natural fit. He enrolled at the Rutgers School of Dental Medicine—then the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey—completed his degree, and joined the Navy. During rotations, he gravitated toward prosthodontics. After encountering the colonel’s case, he sought advanced training at Memorial Sloan Kettering’s combined program in general and maxillofacial prosthetics and dental oncology.

There, he learned to treat patients undergoing cancer care, creating facial prostheses and complex restorations that required meticulous planning and collaboration across specialties. “It’s incredibly rewarding when patients can speak, swallow, and drink again,” he said. His artistic background proved essential. "When you make the facial prosthesis, it's an illusion for people walking by," he explained. "That's where the artistic comes in." In his personal time, he sculpts using the same type of casting he uses in maxillofacial processes. 

Returning to New Jersey, he built the career he envisioned. "I always said that if I got my specialty, I'd like to teach the students," he recalled. For 39 years, he balanced part-time teaching with private practice at his alma mater, RSDM, while also leading the prosthetic department at Monmouth Medical Center and volunteering with its regional cleft palate center.

He also immersed himself in organized dentistry. DiFazio became a diplomate of the American Board of Prosthodontics, a fellow of the American College of Prosthodontists, and a fellow of the AAMP after finishing his specialty training. Over his career, he served in many leadership roles in various organizations ranging from the Lowcountry Dental Study Club during his Navy service to now the AAMP, where his long record of committee and board service culminated in his election as president—a role he will hold through November 2026.

His goals include growing membership, strengthening international collaboration, and modernizing Medicare reimbursement. For DiFazio, a professional community is essential in a field where many work alone. “It’s a camaraderie—you help each other strive for higher levels of care,” he said. That shared support, he noted, protects against burnout and ensures the profession has a voice. Without strong advocacy, he warns, “You won’t be able to control your future.”