A maxillofacial prosthodontist is a prosthodontist who has completed additional fellowship-level training beyond the standard three-year prosthodontic residency. This fellowship focuses exclusively on restoring oral and facial structures altered by cancer treatment, trauma, surgery, or congenital conditions — including the fabrication of obturators, facial prostheses, mandibular reconstruction prostheses, and speech aid devices. Dr. Goetz completed his Maxillofacial Prosthodontics Fellowship at UCLA, making him one of approximately 150 board-certified maxillofacial prosthodontists in the United States. He sees patients at our Boynton Beach office serving Palm Beach County.
You may benefit from a maxillofacial prosthodontist consultation if you have experienced head or neck cancer treatment (radiation, surgery, chemotherapy), facial trauma resulting in bone or soft tissue loss, a congenital defect affecting the palate, jaw, or facial structures, or removal of part of the jaw or facial bones due to tumor surgery. If you’ve been referred by an oncologist, oral surgeon, or speech therapist, or if a general dentist has told you your case is beyond their scope, Dr. Goetz at our Boynton Beach office is equipped to evaluate and treat your specific situation.
At Ocean Breeze Prosthodontics in Boynton Beach, Dr. Goetz provides the full range of maxillofacial prosthetic services: obturators (custom devices that close defects in the palate following tumor surgery or cleft repair), facial prostheses (silicone or acrylic prostheses for the eye, ear, nose, and other facial structures), mandibular reconstruction prostheses (for patients who have lost portions of the jaw), and speech aid prostheses (devices that assist patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency following surgery or radiation). All prostheses are fabricated using CBCT imaging and digital planning for precise fit and natural function.
If surgery is needed, Dr. Goetz works closely with your surgical team to coordinate care — whether that team is based in Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, or elsewhere in Palm Beach County. His role often begins before surgery: Dr. Goetz may fabricate interim prostheses or surgical obturators in advance so that functional rehabilitation begins at the time of surgery rather than weeks later. He also participates in treatment planning with your oncologist or oral surgeon to ensure the surgical margins and reconstruction approach support the best possible prosthetic outcome after healing.
Coverage varies by plan. Maxillofacial prosthetic treatment may be covered under medical insurance rather than — or in addition to — dental insurance, particularly when the condition arose from cancer treatment or trauma. It is worth submitting to both your dental and medical plans. Ocean Breeze Prosthodontics is not in-network with any insurance companies, but we file claims on your behalf and assist you in maximizing reimbursement from any PPO dental or medical plan you have. We strongly recommend verifying your benefits before your first appointment at our Boynton Beach office.
