Objective To compare the application effects of zirconia all-ceramic crown and light-cured composite resin in oral aesthetic restoration. Methods A total of 80 patients who underwent oral aesthetic restoration in Yixing Guanlin Hospital from July 2022 to June 2024 were selected as the research subjects. According to different treatment methods, they were divided into the control group (n =40) and the observation group (n =40). The control group received light-cured composite resin restoration, and the observation group received zirconia all-ceramic crown restoration. The restoration effect, masticatory function and adverse reactions were compared between the two groups. Results The proportions of restoration integrity and restoration marginal adaptionin the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P <0.05). There were no significant differences in the proportions of tooth color matching and good restoration of tooth shape between the two groups (P >0.05). After treatment, the masticatory efficiency and occlusal force in the observation group were better than those in the control group (P <0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the observation group (7.50%) was lower than that in the control group (22.50%) (P <0.05). Conclusion The application effect of zirconia all-ceramic crown in oral aesthetic restoration is better than that of light-cured composite resin. It can improve the restoration effect, enhance the masticatory function of patients, and is beneficial to reducing the incidence of adverse reactions, which is worthy of clinical application.