Today, Sunday 9th February we celebrate Dentist´s Day or Odontologist´s Day in Spain.
This day is to conmemorate and pay homage to those professionals that take care of our oral health, a profesión considered crucial by the World Health Organization (WHO).
The term “odontologist” comes from the Greek “odonto” that means tooth. Many people believe that odontology is only a medical science of teeth, but it also encompasses other áreas.
Teeth, gums, tongue, paladar, oral mucosa, salivary glands and other anatomical structures like lips, tonsils, oropharynx and temporomandibular joint , all this encompasses Odontology.
The reason behind this celebration is a woman . Santa Apolonia was a Christian woman from Alexandria from the third century. The emperor Decio was dedicated to pursuing Christians, among them Apolonia, whom they tortured breaking her teeth with stones and hot iron spikes.
In spite of this , Apolonia remained firm in her religión even though she died burnt. Legend has it that while she was burning alive she shouted that all those that suffered from toothache only had to invoke her name and they would be free from suffering.
