Tooth defect is one of the most common diseases in oral clinical practice, whose etiologies include caries, periodontal disease, trauma, abrasion, congenital developmental abnormalities and so on. Tooth defect not only affects patients' masticatory function, facial aesthetics and pronunciation, but also may lead to a series of secondary oral and health problems. With the rapid development of material science and oral restoration technology, a variety of effective restorative treatment schemes have been formed for tooth defect of different scopes, locations and etiologies. However, the success and long-term survival of restorations depend not only on exquisite clinical technology and high-quality materials, but also on systematic and scientific long-term maintenance strategies after restoration. This paper systematically reviews the current mainstream restoration methods for tooth defect, and in-depth discusses the long-term maintenance strategies that both doctors and patients should follow after the restoration is in place, aiming to provide comprehensive theoretical basis and practical guidance for clinical practice and patient education.