About Face

It can be confusing and daunting to navigate the medical maze for a doctor. Thankfully, the doctors of East Texas Oral Facial Surgery Group have a wide array of experience, diversity and training. Their affiliated offices offer a highly comprehensive number of procedures.

The Texas-grown group consisting of Barry Acker, DDS; Stephen J. Cosentino, DDS; Dennis R. Spence, DDS, MS; Brian H. Stone, DDS, MD and Charles G. Stone, Jr., DDS shares an impressive resume of training from across the nation. Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons obtain a degree from dental school and then proceed with another four to six additional years of hospital-based surgical residency training which includes rotations and training in the following fields: internal medicine, general surgery, anesthesiology, otolaryngology, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, neurosurgery, cardiology and other medical specialties. Dr. Spence said, “Our group of doctors collectively represent more than 100 years of dedicated patient care and the highest standards of care. Some of the procedures we offer include: dental implants, rhinoplasty, facial cosmetic surgery, jaw and TMJ surgery, impacted teeth, extractions, facial reconstruction and trauma surgery.”

Dr. Acker’s DDS hails from the Baylor University College of Dentistry with his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery training at Southwestern Medical School. He is board certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. His expertise includes TMJ disorders, facial pain, trauma and dental implants. Dr. Acker maintains that the grouping of practitioners allows the best possible treatment and management of patients. “The simple fact that we meet together and talk and discuss cases allows us to take the best ideas from a variety of different sources without having to outsource to other organizations, other towns and anything else. We feel it’s a real benefit for the patients.”

Although Dr. Cosentino was not born in Texas, he was raised in Texas. After attending the Baylor College of Dentistry where he graduated sixth in his class of 115 students, he completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Chicago. He explained the beauty of their group. “If one of my patients needs care and I am out-of-town or in surgery, that patient can get care from one of the other doctors within our group. I know that they will still receive top notch care and I can easily communicate with that doctor because we all know each other,” he said.

Dr. Spence has spent most of his life in Tyler and is a U.S.A.F. Veteran with a dental degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental Branch in Houston, completed his Oral and Maxillofacial residency in Houston and is also board certified. With anesthesiology in the family, his father was one of the first in Tyler, Dr. Spence is recognized for his expertise in pathology, trauma, and anesthesiology. He explained that typically, people are not informed on the extensive training and expertise that differentiates a dentist from oral and maxillofacial surgeons. “A good way to think of it is a combination of dentistry, because that’s our background, and medical medicine because of our hospital-based training,” Dr. Spence explained, “We are a very unique specialty that has derived knowledge and experience in both disciplines and put it together in a way that’s the most beneficial to patients for anything that deals with the face.”

Dr. Brian Stone earned a DDS degree in Dallas at Texas A&M Health Science Center, Baylor College of Dentistry and an MD degree from Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Lubbock. He completed his residency in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Baylor University Medical Center. He is board certified by the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery as well. In addition to cutting-edge medical equipment, Dr. Stone said each of their offices utilize the latest technology that the field has to offer. From CT-guided surgical models and stents to 3D imaging- they have it all. Their training is unique to the field. Dr. Stone feels that his move to Tyler has been a blessing for his family as well as professionally.

Dr. Charles Stone is certified by both the National Dental Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. With a DDS from the Baylor College of Dentistry, Dr. Stone enlisted as an Army officer and completed his oral surgery training at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. Prior to joining the East Texas Oral Facial Surgery group, Dr. Stone served as the Chief of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at Walter Reed as teaching staff. “The biggest thing is that we are here to provide a service to the people of East Texas. Because of our relationship with the hospitals, and especially with the Level I trauma center, we do indeed cover all of East Texas.” Dr. Stone emphasized, “For this reason our experience allows us to deal with the various needs of people from all communities.”