a
Christian virgin
martyr of the third century. During an uprising, she was seized by a mob who
broke her teeth and threatened to
burn her alive. When they let her go for a
moment, Apollonia jumped into the
fire herself. She is depicted
holding a tooth in a pair of forceps, and has become the
patron saint of dentists. Monk "Is it Saint Apollonia?"
(died A.D. 249)
Christian martyr and
patron saint of dentists and those suffering from toothaches. (A
patron saint is a saint who is looked upon as a
special guardian of a
place, person,
group,
trade, etc.). According to one
legend, during a riot in
Alexandria,
Egypt, Saint Apollonia was seized by a mob who
broke all her teeth and threatened to
burn her if she did not renounce Jesus
Christ. Apollonia asked for a
brief delay and chance to breathe and when the mob
released her, she jumped into the
fire and was burnt to ashes. She is commonly represented in
art with a pair of
pincers holding a tooth.