Human bite forces have been studied with several types of equipment, and the maximal values reported have varied greatly. In the present study, a new bite force recorder was developed to measure human bite forces. When measuring maximal bite force, the mandible is, laterally and sagittally, almost in the intercuspal position, while the vertical opening of the jaws in the molar region is about 14 mm. Several teeth bite upon the housing. A quartz force transducer serves as a sensory unit. A microprocessor produces a numeric result, shown on a liquid crystal display (LCD). In order to adapt the sensor to be a part of a bite force recorder, we designed a unilateral housing of nonhardened tool steel. In laboratory calibration tests, a series of loads from 112.8 to 1691.5 N was used. The maximal bite forces of healthy undergraduate dental students, 15 men and 15 women, were investigated. The results for both genders remarkably exceeded the values previously reported for unilateral housings. The mean maximal bite force value in the molar region was 847 N for men and 597 N for women. The finding that pain or lack of muscular strength most often limited the clenching suggests that the actual masticatory potential was registered.