BACKGROUND To evaluate oral health in postmenopausal women and verify whether there is a correlation between tooth loss according to index of decayed, missing, filled teeth (DMFT) and bone mineral density (BMD). METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted with 100 women. The DMFT and its associations with lumbar and femoral BMD (T-score and g/cm) were assessed. Analysis of covariance and multiple logistic regression were applied and the mean and standard deviation, absolute and relative frequencies (percentages) were obtained. RESULTS The analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) revealed significant association between the DMFT index and bone mass (T-score), compared to the young adult in L2-L4 (P = 0.0252) and in bone mass in L2-L4 (below average) in g/cm(2) and in the DMFT index (P = 0.0332), and for women with bone mass below the average index DMFT was higher. Between L2-L4 below average (g/cm(2)) and extracted component (P = 0.0483) association was also significant because women with bone mass below the average had a greater extracted component. CONCLUSIONS Postmenopausal women with poor oral health may present reduced bone mass. There was significant association between BMD and DMFT at the L2-L4 site. Women must be advised that their good oral health, amount and quality of bone mass should also be matters of concern.