Department of
Community Dentistry and Behavioral Science
Associate Professor & Department Chair
Phone:
(352)273-5968
E-mail:
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 oral diseases 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. I am currently involved in a number
of inter-related research projects on oral cancer, including the
development of a state model for the prevention and control of oral
cancer in Florida. One ongoing project involves an assessment of
racial differences in attitudes and behaviors related to cancer
screening.
I’m also involved in the training
and development of a public health workforce and a dental community
that understands public health issues. I direct the University
of Florida Dental Public Health Residency Program, which provides
advanced training for dentists interested in pursuing a career in
public health dentistry—one of the nine dental specialties recognized
by the American Dental Association. I also direct Principles of Oral
Health Management, a course for first-year dental students that
emphasizes disease prevention, evidence-based practice, profesionalism
and ethics, and community-based approaches to health promotion. I
currently serve as a member of the faculty and the Oversight Committee
for the University of Florida’s
Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program.
Service is part of the name of our
Division, and I’ve had the privilege of serving the profession and
public in a number of capacities. I am currently Editor of the
Journal of Public Health Dentistry, the official journal of the American Association of Public Health
Dentistry (AAPHD). Prior to becoming Editor, I was a member
of the Executive Council of AAPHD, and recently completed my term as
Symposium Coordinator and Program Chair for the Behavioral Science and
Health Services Research section of the International Association for
Dental Research. I’ve served as a consultant for a number of
agencies and organizations, including the World Health Organization,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of
Health, and the Florida Comprehensive Cancer Control
Initiative.
Recent Publications:
Tomar SL. Is use of smokeless
tobacco a risk factor for cigarette smoking? The U.S. experience. Nicotine
and Tobacco Research 2003.
Tomar SL. Association between
smoking and snuff use in U.S. men: implications for harm reduction. American
Journal of Preventive Medicine 2002; 23(3):143–149.
Tomar SL. Dentistry’s role in
tobacco control. Journal of the American Dental Association
2001; 132(supplement): 30S–35S.
Griffin SO, Jones K, Tomar SL. An
economic evaluation of community water fluoridation. Journal of
Public Health Dentistry 2001;61(2):78–86.
Griffin SO, Gooch BF, Lockwood SA,
Tomar SL. Quantifying the diffused benefit from water fluoridation. Community
Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology 2001;29:120-9.
Tomar SL, Asma S.
Smoking-attributable periodontitis in the United States: Findings from
NHANES III. Journal of Periodontology 2000;71(5):743–751.
Tomar SL, Lester A. Dental and
other health care visits among U.S. adults with diabetes. Diabetes
Care 2000; 23(10): 1505–1510
Click Here for Dr. Tomar's Curriculum Vita
