I refer babies with tight frenula to a pediatric surgeon for evaluation.  If
neccessary, she uses a topical anesthetic (the gel the dentist uses before
giving a novocaine injection) and clips the frenulum where it joins the
tongue, lengthening it without severing it, with a sterile scissor.  She does
this in the outpatient ped surj clinic at the hospital, as that is her
"office".  She waits for the anesthetic to wear off (a few minutes) observes
the baby breastfeeding, and sends them home.  It only takes a few minutes for
the entire procedure.  Your dentist might be thinking about the more
complicated procedure neccessary to treat a tight frenulum in an older
child/adult, which does require more complex surgery.
Catherine Watson Genna, IBCLC