Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate photoelastically the effects of a cervical tooth structure lesion and its restoration on stress distribution within a tooth. Method and materials: Three-dimensional composite models of a maxillary first premolar with a buccal cervical lesion were fabricated. Two types of cervical lesion were tested: one was wedge shaped and had a sharp line angle at the apex of the lesion, and the other was more rounded and saucer shaped. Vertical loads of 10 lb were applied to the unrestored and restored models at the tip of the buccal cusp, the tip of the lingual cusp, and the center of the occlusal surface. The resulting stresses within the tooth model were monitored and recorded photographically in the field of a circular polariscope arrangement. Results: In the unrestored situation, stress concentrated at the apex of the lesion, regardless of the lesion configuration. However, the sharper, wedge-shaped lesion demonstrated a more severe stress concentration. In the restored situation, stress around the lesion apex and the lingual cervical lesion decreased, while stresses at the gingival and occlusal margins of the lesion increased, compared with the unrestored situation. These tendencies were most obvious when the buccal cusp was loaded. Conclusion: The presence of a cervical lesion changed occlusal load-induced stress distribution and concentrated stress at the apex of the lesion. The shape and dimension of the lesion governed the severity of stress concentration. Restoration of the cervical lesion relieved concentrated stress at the apex of the lesion.