Butt joint, plain and round beveled MOD cavities were prepared in extracted human molars. Composite resin inlays (SR-Isosit) were fixed adhesively and analysed by quantitative SEM-evaluation after thermocycling and mechanical load application. The marginal adaptation of the inlays differed significantly depending on the type of cavosurface preparation. Best results with a high percentage of perfect margins not only before but also after in vitro load application were obtained with cavities prepared with rounded bevels.