Objective To explore the effect of dental implant technology on masticatory function and dental aesthetics in patients with free-end missing teeth restoration treatment. Methods A total of 98 patients with free-end missing teeth admitted to Suzhou Stomatological Hospital from January 2023 to September 2024 were selected as the research subjects, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group according to different treatment plans, with 49 patients in each group. The control group was treated with removable denture restoration, and the observation group was treated with dental implant technology. The masticatory function, dental aesthetics, pain, alveolar bone resorption, periodontal status and gingival crevicular fluid inflammatory factor levels were compared between the two groups. Results The effective masticatory rate of the observation group was higher than that of the control group, and the dental aesthetics (IOTN-AC) score was lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). After 3 months of treatment, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). The alveolar bone resorption amount of the observation group was lower than that of the control group (P <0.05). The sulcus bleeding index (SBI), plaque index (PLI) and periodontal pocket probing depth (PD) of the observation group were lower than those of the control group (P <0.05). The levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). Conclusion In the restoration treatment of free-end missing teeth, compared with removable denture restoration, dental implant technology can improve masticatory efficiency and dental aesthetics, reduce patient pain, decrease alveolar bone resorption, improve periodontal status, and control periodontal inflammatory response.