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David Bryan Powers

Professor of Surgery
Surgery, Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery
DUMC 2955, Durham, NC 27710
DUMC 2955, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Dr. Powers currently serves as a Professor of Surgery, and Director of the Craniomaxillofacial Trauma Program, at Duke University Medical Center.  Additionally, he is the Fellowship Director for the Craniomaxillofacial Trauma and Reconstructive Surgery fellowship within the Department of Surgery. His surgical experience in facial trauma was attained during a military career highlighted by the acute management of ballistic and other injuries of warfare, as well as performing secondary and tertiary facial reconstructive surgery during various staff assignments at Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center – Bethesda and the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, Maryland.  He lectures and has published extensively on the management of ballistic and high-energy transfer injuries to the craniomaxillofacial skeleton, comprehensive reconstruction techniques for facial trauma, and the use of computer-aided surgical planning and patient-specific implants for anatomic rehabilitation after catastrophic craniomaxillofacial injuries.

Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations


Professor of Surgery · 2021 - Present Surgery, Plastic, Maxillofacial, and Oral Surgery, Surgery
Professor in Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences · 2021 - Present Head and Neck Surgery & Communication Sciences, Clinical Science Departments
Professor in Neurosurgery · 2022 - Present Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery

Recent News Items


Published November 11, 2025
A Surgeon Shaped by Service
Published February 5, 2025
David Powers, MD, Named President of ABOMS
Published October 22, 2024
The American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (ABOMS) Honors Past President and Welcomes New Leadership

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Recent Scholarly Works


Transatlantic tools of the trade: Anglo-American instrumentation in oral and maxillofacial surgery.

Journal article Br J Oral Maxillofac Surg · April 2026 Surgeons in the United Kingdom and the United States often perform identical oral and maxillofacial operations with strikingly different instrument sets. The extent and practical significance of this divergence have not, to our knowledge, been previously r ... Full text Link to item Cite

Management Protocol for Ballistic and Other High-Energy Avulsive Facial Injuries-An Update for the 21st Century.

Journal article Craniomaxillofac Trauma Reconstr · March 3, 2026 High-energy ballistic and avulsive injuries to the face represent some of the most complex challenges in modern reconstructive surgery. Since Robertson and Manson's 1999 management protocol, extensive military experience and technological advancements have ... Full text Open Access Link to item Cite

Perspective on trends in oral and maxillofacial surgery residency training and recent match results.

Journal article Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol · March 2026 Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMS) residency programs in the United States have recently experienced a notable decline in match rates. While it may be challenging to identify the root cause of this change, similar experiences in other specialties have id ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Education


University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio · 2000 M.D.
University of Kentucky, College of Dentistry · 1990 D.M.D.