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Apollonia was a rebellious young woman from Alexandria in during the Second Century when the Roman Empire was occupying Egypt.
She refused to accept the religion thrust upon her, for which she was punished by Christian persecutors, having her teeth knocked out and sentenced to be burned at the stake.
After she was threatened with death by burning, Apollonia pleaded to have her bonds loosened, upon which she freely jumped into the fire.
In the 16th century she was declared a saint.
St Apollonia died in the year 249, martyred for not renouncing her faith during the reign of Emperor Philip.
She is considered the patron of dental ailments and is often invoked by those with toothaches. Ancient art depicts her with a golden tooth at the end of her necklace. Also in art, she is seen with pincers (pliers) holding a tooth.
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