The aim of this study was to determine the bite force with primary dentition in 30 children with normal occlusion (group I), cross bite (group II) and open bite (group III). The magnitude of the bite force was determined through a pressurized transmitter tube (pressure sensor MPX 5700 Motorola), which was connected to a converse analog/digital electronic circuit. The children bit the tube with maximum force three times successively for 5 s, with a 10 s interval among each bite, and the sign was sent directly to the computer. The highest value of the three, for each patient, was considered. Analysis of variance evaluated difference among the three groups. The means of maximum bite force were 213 17, 249 63 and 241 19 N for the groups, respectively, and there were no significant statistical differences among them (P > 0.05). The analysis of correlation showed that the weight, height and bite force presented weak positive correlation (r = 0.24 and 0.23). 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