Why Taylor Chose Invisalign Over the Holidays

She Thought She'd Wait until January

Taylor was halfway through wrapping her niece’s Christmas presents when she caught her reflection in the living room window. She paused.

It wasn’t the lights from the tree, or the sparkle of silver wrapping paper that held her attention. It was her teeth. More specifically, her crooked front tooth that always seemed to catch the light in the wrong way.

“I’ll fix it next year,” she whispered to herself, same as last year.

But that night, as she and her sister sipped mulled wine on the couch, the topic of health insurance came up.

“You know your dental benefits expire in like, four weeks, right?” her sister said. “Why wait again?”

That question echoed louder than any carol.

The Real Reason She Kept Delaying

Taylor had looked into Invisalign before. Several times, actually. But each time, she backed out, not because of the cost or the process, but because of one small word she didn’t understand: attachments.

Invisalign attachments sounded... complicated. Were they painful? Obvious? Permanent?

She imagined weird buttons on her teeth, feeling self-conscious in every holiday photo. She had visions of smiling through office parties, gingerly chewing peppermint bark, or excusing herself during family photos.

But something about the timing this year felt different. The idea of starting 2026 with a confident, aligned smile felt like the best gift she could give herself.

So, she booked her consultation at Austin Dental Co. before her insurance reset, and walked into the office two days before Thanksgiving, nervous but curious.

So, What are Invisalign Attachments?

Here’s what Taylor learned from Dr. Rachel Morren that day:

Invisalign attachments are tiny, tooth-colored dots made of composite resin. They’re bonded temporarily to your teeth to help guide the aligners more precisely. Think of them like “handles” that give the clear aligners extra grip, so they can apply just the right amount of pressure.

They're barely visible, don’t hurt, and (surprise to Taylor) aren’t on every tooth.

Some people only need a few, depending on how much their teeth need to shift. They’re removed painlessly at the end of treatment.

“It’s like giving your aligners a steering wheel,” Dr. Morren explained. “They help make complex movements more predictable, so your results stay on track.”

Taylor was stunned. The thing that had kept her from moving forward turned out to be so minor, and oddly, kind of genius.

Why Starting Now Actually Made More Sense

Taylor always thought it’d be smarter to start treatment in the new year, fresh start, right?

But as Dr. Bonner Morren pointed out, the end of the year is actually one of the best times to begin Invisalign, especially if:

• Your insurance covers orthodontics, and you're about to lose unused benefits
• You have time off work or school over the holidays for adjustment
• You want to discreetly begin treatment before the busy spring social season

“Plus,” Dr. Morren smiled, “most people take fewer pictures in January than December.”

In less than an hour, Taylor had her digital scans, personalized treatment plan, and her attachments scheduled.

What the First Week Actually Felt Like

Let’s be honest, Taylor was still nervous when she came in for her attachments. But the process was fast, simple, and surprisingly comfortable.

“They felt like tiny speed bumps,” she laughed. “But only for a few days.”

By Christmas Eve, she’d already adjusted. She could eat her favorite foods (after popping out her aligners), sip on mulled wine, and even forgot she was wearing them during her niece’s holiday play.

The best part?

Nobody noticed her attachments. Not even in photos.

If anything, friends kept commenting, “Something’s different. Did you whiten your teeth?”