To observe the effect of different orthodontic traction methods on patients with impacted maxillary central incisors. Methods A total of 68 patients with impacted maxillary central incisors in our hospital from January 2020 to August 2022 were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 34 patients in each group. The control group was treated with anterior traction, and the observation group was treated with intermaxillary traction. The clinical efficacy, traction time and root length of impacted teeth were compared between the two groups. Results The total effective rate of treatment in the observation group was 97.06%, which was higher than 79.41% in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). The traction time of the observation group was (7.28±2.14) months, which was shorter than (12.32±3.26) months of the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). After treatment, the root length of impacted teeth in the observation group was better than that in the control group, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.05). Conclusion The application effect of intermaxillary traction in patients with impacted maxillary central incisors is better than that of anterior traction, which can improve the effect of orthodontic treatment, shorten the traction time, and help to improve the length of the root of the impacted teeth.