Scott Tomar, D.M.D., M.P.H., Dr.P.H.

Department of Community Dentistry and Behavioral SciencePhoto of Dr. Scott Tomar
Professor & Director of Institutional Analysis and Evaluation

Phone: 352-273-5968
Email: stomar@dental.ufl.edu

  • BA, Temple U., 1980
  • DMD, Temple U., 1984
  • MPH, Columbia U., 1989
  • Specialty Certificate in Dental Public Health, U Michigan, 1991
  • DrPH, U. Michigan, 1993

Main Interests

As a public health dentist and oral epidemiologist, my research interests involve the understanding and control of modifiable risk factors for disease in populations. One primary area of interest is tobacco use and its effects on oral health. My research in this area has included tobacco-associated oral diseases, the epidemiology of tobacco use, and improving the outcomes for people with oral cancer — a disease largely associated with tobacco use. Much of my recent work involves public health surveillance for oral diseases and conditions, testing approaches to delivering oral health services for vulnerable communities, and conducting health policy research to improving the oral health of communities. I’ve had the privilege of serving the profession and public in a number of capacities. I recently completed my term as Chair of the Oral Health Section of the American Public Health Association, served as President of the American Association of Public Health Dentistry (AAPHD), and was President of the Behavioral, Epidemiologic and Health Services Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR). I served as founding Chair of the Alachua County Oral Health Coalition and have been heavily involved with Oral Health Florida, the state’s oral health coalition. I have served as Editor of the Journal of Evidence-Based Dental Practice and the Journal of Public Health Dentistry, an continue to serve as a consultant for a number of agencies and organizations, including the Food and Drug Administration and the American Dental Association.

Recent Publications

  • Gold J, Tomar SL. Interdisciplinary community-based oral health program for women and children at WIC. Matern Child Health J 2018 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 29936657
  • Serban N, Tomar SL. ADA Health Policy Institute’s Methodology overestimates spatial access to dental care for publicly insured children. J Public Health Dent 2018 [Epub ahead of print]. PMID: 30086597
  • Lee I, Serban N, Monahan S, Griffin PM, Tomar SL. Estimating the cost savings of preventive dental services delivered to Medicaid-enrolled children in six southeastern states. Health Serv Res 2017 Nov 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 29194610
  • Johnson B, Serban N, Griffin PM, Tomar SL. The cost-effectiveness of three interventions for providing preventive services to low-income children. Community Dent Oral Epidemiol. 2017;45(6):522–8.
  • Dávila ME, Tomar SL. Promotora model to improve oral health: an exploratory study among diverse low-income community. Revista Odontológica de Los Andes 2017;12(2):24¬–32.
  • Herndon JB, Crall JJ, Carden D, Catalanotto FA, Tomar SL, Aravamudhan K, Light JK, Shenkman EA. Measuring quality: caries-related emergency department visits and follow-up among children. J Public Health Dent. 2017;77(3):252–62. PMID: 28252806
  • Serna C, Arevalo O, Tomar SL. Dental-related use of hospital EDs by Hispanics and non-Hispanics in Florida. Am J Public Health 2017;107(S1):S88–S93.
  • O’Connell J, Rockell J, Ouellet J, Tomar SL, Maas W. Costs and savings associated with community water fluoridation in the United States. Health Aff (Millwood). 2016;35(12):2224–32. PMID: 27920310.
  • Tomar SL, Carden DL, Dodd VJ, Catalanotto FA, Herndon JB. Trends in dental-related use of hospital emergency departments in Florida. J Public Health Dent 2016;76(3):249–57. PMID: 27103213.