As diets in Western Europe began to include more starchy foods in the 14th century, dental discomfort began to grow with no remedy in sight, prompting people with toothaches to turn to Saint Apollonia. Now, the Arthur A. Dugoni School of Dentistry’s Virtual Dental Museum is exploring the history and iconography of the patron saint of the dental profession.
As an “aged deaconess” living in Alexandria, Egypt, in the third century, Apollonia allegedly had her teeth knocked out and then leaped into a bonfire rather than renounce God during a mob attack on a group of Christians. Though mostly forgotten in the centuries that followed, her story was revived in the Middle Ages by those who sought relief from dental pain because she had lost her teeth.
The oldest known painting of St. Apollonia comes from the 14th century. In a 15th century illustration, she is holding a tooth in forceps, a motif that would continue in illustrations of her into the 21st century. Considered one of the oldest monographs in dentistry Franciscus Martinez’s 1557 De Dentione also includes an engraving of her.
St. Apollonia continues to inspire dentally afflicted parishioners in Christian communities that cherish saintly benevolence. In some parts of Europe, her followers fast and say an appropriate prayer on the day of her celebration, February 9, believing they will be free of toothaches for a year. She continues to be considered the patron saint of dentistry, with many dental societies, magazines, and practices bearing her name.
The Virtual Dental Museum is part of the A W Ward Museum of Dentistry, which was founded in 1974 and showcases artifacts from the middle of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. Students, researchers, and dental professionals interested in studying the collection can contact museum curator Dr. Dorothy Dechant at (415) 929-6627 or ddechant@pacific.edu.
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