The purpose of this study was to examine the anatomic structures of the mandible-inferior alveolar canal, mental foramen, mental canal-with panoramic radiography and conventional tomography and to compare both radiographic techniques in conjunction with endosseous implants. In this study 14 adult dentulous mandibles -27 cases of right and left side of mandibles- were examined and the results were as follows. 1. The distance between superior border of the inferior alveolar canal and the alveolar ridge crest showed a decreasing tendency from the mental foramen to 4cm posterior to the mental foramen. 2. The mean diameter of the inferior alveolar canal was $4.11{pm}0.50mm$ with panoramic radiography and $3.29{pm}0.59mm$ with conventional tomography. 3. The inferior border of the inferior alveolar canal and inferior border of the mandible was closest at 2cm posterior to the mental foramen but it was not statistically significant. the mean distance was $1l.64{pm}2.95mm$ in panoramic radiography and $1l.68{pm} 2.91mm$ in conventional tomography. 4. The inferior alveolar canal located lingually in bucco-lingual direction 16%(mental foramen), 54%(lcm posterior to the mental foramen), 68%(2cm posterior to the mental foramen), 50%(3cm posterior to mental foramen), 55%(4cm posterior to the mental foramen). 5. Mean length of the anterior loop of the mental canal was 2.73mm, and the loop below 2mm was 35% and 15% of mental canal was invisible in panoramic radiography. 6. The minimum interforaminal distance was 56.7mm, the maximum distance was 73.2mm and the mean distance was 66.42mm in panoramic radiography. 7. The mean distance between midpoint of the mental canal and alveolar ridge crest was 16.24mm and the mean buccolingual angulation of the mental canal was $52.98^{circ}$ in conventional tomography. 8. In comparison of panoramic radiography and conventional tomography, inferior alveolar canal is better visualized with conventional tomography than panoramic radiography from the mental foramen to the 2cm posterior to the mental foramen, while visiblity of conventional tomography prominently decreased in 4cm posterior to the mental foramen and alveolar ridge crest is better visualized with panoramic radiography than conventional radiography at the mental foramen and at 4cm posterior to the mental foramen. In radiologic examination of anatomic structures of the mandible for endosseous implants, panoramic radiography and conventional tomography can be effectively used when it is used to overcome the anatomic limitations.