Image of Saint Apollonia, polycromed and gilded wood, 18th century.

A virgin martyr of Alexandria, Saint Apollonia (Portuguese: Santa Apolónia) was tortured and had the entirety of her teeth violently pulled off, a detail that explains her main attribute – tongs holding a tooth between them. For this reason, she is regarded as the patroness of dentists and is evoked against all manner of maladies concerning teeth.