Bite force

The Bite force people seem to be almost effeminate these days. That could at least be assumed if one takes a look at the modern eating habits, which seem to be strongly opposed to those of the past. Among the early humans there were e.g. B. Paranthropus, whose cheekbones were four times larger than those of modern humans. He could crush nuts and their shells or even the hard fibers of plants without any effort.

What is the bite force?

The masticatory muscles of modern humans are relatively less developed, but the changed eating habits over time have not had a major impact on the biting force itself. The fact is, the strongest muscle in humans is their mastication muscle. It arises from the side and base of the skull. Every insertion of all the masseter muscles begins on the lower jaw and ensures that it can be closed.

The masseter is used by humans so that they can bite hard and sufficiently chop up their food. It consists of four skeletal muscles that play a key role in the act of chewing. All muscles are connected to the cranial nerves by branches and are supplied by them, the environment in turn is wrapped in fascia, which means that there is enough space available, but also that no bruises are exerted.

The masticatory muscles are paired and can act on one side as a grinding movement or on the same side. The muscles of the tongue, the floor of the mouth and the face are just as important. The most powerful of the jaw muscles is the temple muscle. He closes his jaw. All of this enables people to bite strongly.

Biting force means the force or pressure that the jaw needs when biting. This is measured in Newtons per square centimeter.

Function & task

The jaw acts like the function of a simple lever. The biting force or the pressure of the jaw works from the ratio of the distance between the point of action and the point of rotation versus the comparison of the distance from the point of rotation to the muscle attachment over which the force is exerted. This can be calculated. Static biting force is used here, as this only relates to the point of action.

The calculation of the bite force depends on several variables. This includes the tooth or object contact surface, the entire jaw geometry, the direction of action and the muscle force exerted at the moment itself. Biting can only be measured precisely in humans. The measuring device cannot be applied specifically to animals. The evaluation is scientifically more difficult.

Nevertheless, studies of the structure of the jaw and the muscles in relation to the biting force are also being developed in various animal species. The great jaw strength of all animals still alive today is probably the great white shark. 1.8 tons were measured here, compared to the lion weighing just 560 kilograms.

The jaw and bite force of humans, like all living things of a species, is different. The different characteristics of the jaw muscles also play a role. On average, a value of about 800 Newtons per square centimeter is given. That means a bite force of 80 kilograms. This means that the human bite force is less than that of a lion, but greater than that of a wolf, for example, which can bite at around 60 kilograms.

Scientists could also make comparative tests. Humans have been compared to different types of monkeys. With the help of computed tomography, x-rays of the jaw were made from different perspectives and these were then put together to form a three-dimensional image, which in turn could be used to calculate the biting force of the jaw.

The bite into a hard object was then simulated. The result of the exertion of force was finally visualized on the computer. It was found out that the biting force of humans is surprisingly efficient, that they can bite much more forcefully than, for example, great apes such as chimpanzees or orangutans.

The study showed that in comparison, humans can muster almost 50 percent more bite force. This in turn speaks for better teeth and is sometimes also due to the length and position of the jaw joint. The lower jaw of humans is longer than that of the great apes, so a greater leverage effect can be exerted.

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Illnesses & ailments

For many people, the jaw muscles are constantly tense without them noticing. This can happen if the teeth are always pressed together or grinded with them. This leads to tension.

Jaw problems have various causes and effects. On the one hand, they can be accompanied by hardening of the connective tissue and muscles. This is generally about chronic tension in the masticatory muscles, which severely restrict the biting force. The effects can be temporomandibular joint pain, cheek pain, temple pain and tooth pain. This restricts the movement of the jaw and can sometimes lead to permanent shifts.

Some people have a misaligned jaw, whereby the load on the jaw muscles is different and can lead to greater tension. This can be the case, for example, if the person has a receding chin.

The symptoms are mostly a tension of the large masticatory muscle, meaning the temporal muscles on the two temples and the masseter muscles on the cheeks. These muscles are tensed to close the jaw. Likewise when biting or simply clenching the teeth.

However, the jaw is also used for other movements, including speaking, yawning, laughing, and similar activities. If there is tension, these movements can also be very painful. Ailments of this kind are then treated, for example, by means of sensorimotor body therapy.