OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to evaluate the relative efficacy of the mandibular trabecular bone in detecting osteoporotic-associated bone changes in Brazilian women. METHODS Seventy-three digital panoramic radiographs of healthy and osteoporotic postmenopausal women were used. Regions of interest were selected in the mandibular angle and body of the panoramic images, which were analyzed for fractal dimension (FD) and pixel intensity (PI). Statistical analysis evaluated the distribution pattern, compared normal with osteoporotic patients and the right with the left mandible, and assessed the relationship between FD and PI. The significance level was set at 0.05. RESULTS FD and PI values were significantly different (p < 0.05) between normal and osteoporotic patients for the right and left mandibular angle and for the left mandibular body. There was no significant difference (p > 0.05) between the right and left mandibular angle for FD and PI, but a significant difference (p < 0.05) was observed on the mandibular body for PI values. FD and PI values presented positive correlation. CONCLUSIONS The mandibular trabecular bone was effective in detecting osteoporotic changes, with the exception of the right mandibular body. CONCLUSIONS Mandibular trabecular bone shows a promising attempt of accurate detection of osteoporotic changes in some regions of the jaws. Fractal analysis and pixel intensity had strong positive correlation.