Why the Bite?

For those that are following the Soccer World Cup, one of the biggest stories has been Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and his habit of biting opposing players on the field. Here at the dental office, we highly discourage biting anything other than food, of course, and especially not other people! But this incident did make us curious to look at other instances where bites have caused a stir.
One of the most memorable bites in history was when Mike Tyson fought against Evander Holyfield in a boxing match championship and Tyson bit both of Holyfield’s ears, biting part of his right ear off and spitting it onto the floor. In a 1983 National Basketball Association playoff game, Tree Rollins bit Danny Ainge on the finger, biting it so deeply that it required stitches. In an incident in a National Hockey League Stanley Cup finals game, Alex Burrows of Vancouver allegedly bit the finger of Boston’s Patrice Bergeron while scuffling.
So how much damage can a human bite cause? Biting other people can cause a good deal of damage to the victim, because the average human bite contains around 100 pounds of force, and can be even greater depending on the strength of an individual’s teeth. This is why mouth guards are so important in athletics, to protect teeth, lips, and tongues. While a human bite may not be as strong as a dog bite (up to 500 pounds of force), it can still cause a good deal of harm. So instead of biting people, bite into a big healthy apple! And if you have questions about mouth guards, we invite you to contact our office.