Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Emperor Decius. According to church tradition, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems.
Giuseppe Crespi [Public domain]
![Saint Apollonia was one of a group of virgin martyrs who suffered in Alexandria during a local uprising against the Christians prior to the persecution of Emperor Decius. According to church tradition, her torture included having all of her teeth violently pulled out or shattered. For this reason, she is popularly regarded as the patroness of dentistry and those suffering from toothache or other dental problems.
<a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Giuseppe_maria_crespi,_s._apollonia,_1700-40_ca..JPG" title="via Wikimedia Commons" target="_blank">Giuseppe Crespi</a> [Public domain]](http://www.katakombe.org/gallery/images/2020/02/16/Giuseppe_maria_crespi_s._apollonia_1700-40_ca.md.jpg)
