Saint Apollonia (died 249) was an aged deaconess of Alexandria martyred during an anti-Christian riot under the emperor Decius. Her persecutors broke and knocked out her teeth, then threatened to burn her alive unless she renounced Christ; she leapt into the fire of her own accord rather than blaspheme. She is invoked against toothache and is the patron of dentists.

02-09

• dentists
• against toothache

canonized

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