What Are Invisalign "Buttons" and Where Are They Attached.

Think of attachments on teeth as little handles on them which allow the aligners to 'grip' onto a more challenging tooth.  Otherwise the tooth surface is smooth and the aligners sometimes slip on the tooth surface.  These originally were not used as much as they are today.  They have helped to give us a much more predictable result, and that is a great thing.  Attachments called buttons can be used for the patient to wear rubber bands to correct certain problems that can't be corrected otherwise, also a great thing.  These improvements help to make the Invisalign experience better for both the patient and the doctor.

WHAT ARE INVISALIGN ATTACHMENTS?
Invisalign attachments are small tooth-colored bumps that are temporarily placed during Invisalign treatment. These attachments are important as they serve as "handle-bars" that allow the Invisalign trays to easily grasp your teeth. At the end of Invisalign, these attachments are very easily polished off.
WHY USE ATTACHMENTS?
Invisalign only works if the trays can adequately hold your teeth during tooth movement. If the trays are very loose, they are not gripping your teeth enough to move your teeth as desired. An important part of orthodontics, which should not be underestimated, is efficiency - the trays need to grasp your teeth properly for orthodontics to progress predictably and successfully.
Many patients say they feel the trays CLICK into place because of the attachments These attachments help establish that perfect fit of the trays that is essential for ideal orthodontics.
With all this being said, there still are situations - like very mild tooth movement - where attachments are less important and used less frequently.

During Invisalign treatment, attachments may need to be added to specific teeth in order to allow the aligners to apply additional forces on teeth to intrude, extrude, or rotate them.  I have only seem them placed on the lip/cheek surfaces of the teeth.  The attachments are made from composite resin, which is the same material used in tooth-colored fillings.
The orthodontist does have some say in the placement location and the size/shape of any attachment.  He or she can even request that certain teeth not have attachments placed on them (this mostly occurs with front teeth).  Just understand that to forgo having attachments as a part of treatment might mean that your Invisalign treatment may take longer and may not produce an ideal result.
The attachments are generally not offensive or irritating to the lips or cheeks.  With the aligner placed on the teeth, the attachment may feel like (at the very worst) a smooth bump.

Thank you for your question. Buttons are temporary attachments, which are placed on the surface of the teeth, to be able to perform teeth movement more efficiently and faster. Think about them as brackets in braces. Trimming of the teeth is done for the same purpose. A combination of trimming teeth AND attachments make the case movement even more efficient.

Invisalign attachments are designed to help Invisalign create the appropriate tooth movement forces, without them Invisalign's capabilities are limited. These attachments are the result of almost 2 decades of research and are highly sophisticated. Invisalign's proprietary computer algorithms determine these attachments based on the tooth movement the Invisalign specialist requests. The specialist is then able to make modifications as needed.

Attachments are bonded to designated areas on
certain teeth in order to aid in the prescribed tooth movement. They are bonded
(and clear) to the front side of the teeth. Attachments are very important for
the most accurate tooth movements and are easy to become accustomed to.

So what are invisalign buttons or attachments and where are
they placed.The invisalign attachments
are actually an anchor that is positioned strategically depending on your
treatment plan and what they’re for is to give a bigger area to be able to
grasp on to so that the aligners can move the teeth.Sometimes to turn them, sometimes to move
them down or up but essentially that is what the buttons are.They are bonded onto your tooth with a tooth
colored or almost invisible material or resin and most people don’t get to
bothered with them.They get used to
them eventually.

Attachments or Buttons are made by bonding small amounts of composite or tooth color filling material to your teeth. 

They are usually required for Invisalign treatment, especially if teeth need to be rotated, or moved up/down (intruded/extruded). 

Sometimes these attachments need to be placed on your front teeth. They are the same color as your teeth, but they may still be noticeable from a close distance when the aligners are removed. 

They act as anchors to help the teeth move into the desired position. 

At the end of treatment they are removed. 

Attachments are bonded to designated areas on certain teeth in order to aid in the prescribed tooth movement. They are bonded (and clear) to the front side of the teeth. Attachments are very important for the most accurate tooth movements and are fairly easy to become accustomed to.

Since you have not yet started your Invisalign treatment, the "buttons" you are referring to are most likely ATTACHMENTS.  Attachments are small mounds of tooth colored composite bonded to your enamel surface.  They can be used for a variety of reasons, such as to help hold the Aligner in your mouth or to aid in specific tooth movement.  Attachments are generally placed within the first few sets of aligners and remain throughout your Invisalign treatment, being removed at the end prior to retainer placement.  They can be placed on ANY surface of the tooth, depending upon the reason they are being used.  Most often they are fairly inconspicuous, so you won't have to worry.  "Buttons" may be used later in your treatment for elastic wear - and are actually small orthodontic auxilliaries shaped like buttons made of either metal or plastic depending upon their application.

The buttons are tooth colored fillilng material, to match your shade.  They are placed using a special tray for a precise fit.  We use them to control tooth movement and provide anchorage.  The are easily removed and do not harm your natural tooth.  They are barely noticible when the aligners are in.