St. Apollonia is the patron saint of dentists. Because her martyrdom at Alexandria involved the breaking out of all her teeth, she has been invoked since antiquity in everything pertaining to the teeth — by sufferers of toothache and by the dentists who treat them. She is shown in sacred art holding a tooth in a pair of pincers.
In Catholic tradition, patron saints are holy men and women whose lives and intercession are considered especially suited to particular needs, groups, or situations. The Church's practice of invoking saints reflects the doctrine of the Communion of Saints — the belief that the faithful departed remain united with the living in the one Body of Christ and can intercede before God on our behalf. The designation of a patron saint for “Dentists” reflects centuries of Catholic popular devotion and, in many cases, formal recognition by popes or bishops.
Primary Patron
Saint Apollonia
Feast Day
February 9
Saint Apollonia is invoked as patron of dentists. An aged deaconess of Alexandria, she was seized during the anti-Christian violence of the year 249 and, as recorded by Saint Dionysius of Alexandria in a letter preserved by Eusebius, was beaten so that all her teeth were broken out; threatened with being burned alive, she went voluntarily into the fire rather than blaspheme Christ. From this account she became the patroness of dentists and of all who suffer from diseases of the teeth, and she is traditionally depicted holding a tooth in a pair of pincers. Her feast is February 9. Source: catholic.org.