Bite Force & Jaw Clenching: How Hard Are You Biting?

Bite force and jaw clenching: chewing uses less than half of your jaw's strength, for a split second at a time. Clenching isn't capped there, and it can be held. In Episode 6 of Jaw Awareness, Randy Clare walks through what the research actually measured about human bite force, how chewing compares to clenching, why time matters as much as force, and a light-touch check to feel the difference yourself.

You'll learn:
How strong the human jaw is, and why there's a range, not a single number
Why bite force PSI numbers online often can't be traced to any study
What a 1981 study found: chewing averaged about 36% of each person's maximum
What a 2001 sleep-lab study measured during sleep bruxism, including events that exceeded some people's own daytime maximum
Why time is the real multiplier: a chew lasts a fraction of a second, a clench can last much longer
Why your teeth register a clench before your attention does
A one-week check-in to start noticing teeth contact during your day

Lips together. Teeth apart. Jaw at rest.



▶️ Episode 4, Jaw Clenching Day vs. Night: [LINK]
💬 Were your teeth touching when you started this video? Tell us in the comments.

Noticing isn't diagnosing. If you have jaw soreness, headaches or facial pain, or chipped or worn teeth, see your dentist.