Objective To explore the application effect of Digital Smile Design (DSD) in invisible orthodontics for children with mild to moderate malocclusion. Methods A total of 70 children with mild to moderate malocclusion who visited our hospital from January 2021 to January 2023 were selected, and they were divided into the control group and the observation group by the random number table method, with 35 children in each group. The control group received simple invisible orthodontics, and the observation group received DSD combined with invisible orthodontics. The dental arrangement, occlusal relationship, smile aesthetic indicators and satisfaction were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the dental crowding degree and interdental space width in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P <0.05). After treatment, the overbite, overjet and ANB angle of upper and lower anterior teeth in the observation group were smaller than those in the control group (P <0.05). The proportions of coordinated smile arc, appropriate upper anterior tooth exposure and symmetrical corner position in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P <0.05). The satisfaction rate of the observation group (94.29%) was higher than that of the control group (77.14%) (P <0.05). Conclusion The application of DSD in invisible orthodontics for children with mild to moderate malocclusion can improve the orthodontics effect, optimize smile aesthetic indicators and occlusal relationship, and enhance satisfaction.