To explore the clinical effect of orthodontic traction of anterior teeth residual root and crown lengthening in the repair of anterior teeth defect. Methods A total of 120 patients with anterior tooth defect admitted to our hospital from March 2022 to March 2023 were randomly divided into control group and observation group, with 60 patients in each group. The control group was treated with crown lengthening, and the observation group was treated with orthodontic traction of anterior teeth residual root and crown lengthening. The repair effect, periodontal health and complications were compared between the two groups. Results The excellent and good rate of repair in the observation group was 96.67%, which was higher than 80.00% in the control group (P <0.05). The periodontal probing depth, gingival index and tooth mobility of the two groups after treatment were lower than those before treatment, and the observation group was lower than the control group (P <0.05). The incidence of complications in the observation group was 5.00%, which was lower than 20.00% in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion In the repair of anterior teeth defect, orthodontic traction of anterior teeth residual root and crown lengthening can improve the periodontal health of patients, improve the repair effect and reduce the risk of complications.