The answer to whether a human can bite through bone is no, due to the biomechanical mismatch between the force our jaws generate and the inherent strength of skeletal tissue. Our masticatory system is optimized for processing food, not for structural demolition. This impossibility is explained by examining the forces produced by the human jaw, the robust composition of bone, and the structural limitations of our teeth.
The Maximum Force Generated By Human Jaws
The power behind a human bite is generated by muscles like the masseter, temporalis, and pterygoids. Maximum bite force is not uniform across the mouth; the jaw acts like a Class III lever, resulting in the strongest forces being exerted by the molars, which are positioned closer to the jaw joint fulcrum.
The average maximum voluntary bite force in the molar region for a healthy adult typically falls between 700 to 800 Newtons (N), or approximately 160 to 180 pounds per square inch (PSI). Even individuals with strong jaw musculature rarely exceed 1,300 N (over 275 PSI). These figures establish the upper limit of the force the human system can safely deliver, while the force applied by the incisors is far lower.
The Structural Strength of Bone
Bone is a sophisticated composite material whose mechanical strength far exceeds the maximum forces produced by the human jaw. The outer layer, known as cortical or compact bone, is dense and withstands immense compressive forces, measuring approximately 150 MegaPascals (MPa) in strength.
This 150 MPa is roughly equivalent to over 21,750 PSI. Comparing this to the human jaw’s maximum 275 PSI demonstrates that bone is about 80 times stronger in compression than the force a human can generate. The inner cancellous bone is protected by the strong cortical shell. The force required to fracture this dense outer layer is orders of magnitude greater than what human muscles can produce.
Limitations of Human Dentition
Beyond the jaw’s force output, the teeth are not structurally suited for fracturing dense bone. Human dentition is optimized for processing soft food, with incisors for cutting, canines for tearing, and molars for crushing. This design is optimized for the typical human diet, not for penetrating hard, mineralized tissue.
The outer layer of a tooth, enamel, is the hardest substance in the human body, yet it is brittle, with a fracture toughness comparable to glass. Applying the force required to break bone would likely result in the chipping or catastrophic failure of the tooth structure before the bone yields. Furthermore, the periodontal ligaments, which anchor the tooth root, would be severely damaged by the intense shock of a bone fracture attempt.
Summary of Biological Constraints
The inability of a human to bite through bone results from multiple biological limitations working in concert. The human jaw lacks the necessary muscle mass and mechanical leverage found in specialized bone-crushing predators. This insufficient force output is compounded by the immense compressive strength of cortical bone. Finally, the structural design and inherent brittleness of human dentition would cause the teeth to fail long before the bone target breaks. The human masticatory system is optimized for grinding softer foods, not for the high-impact stresses of skeletal fracture.