Questions For Your Frenectomy Provider

9 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Frenectomy Provider

What every parent should know before trusting someone with their baby’s mouth.

The Rise of the Quick-Fix Frenectomy

Tongue tie awareness has exploded in the last few years - and so has the number of providers offering frenectomies. Unfortunately, most have had very little training.

I know because I see it in Facebook groups every day - parents left without guidance, asking strangers for help. Peer support is great, but your provider should be the one answering those questions.

So here’s a list of questions to ask before choosing a provider. You deserve answers, support, and a team who knows what they’re doing.

🔎 9 Questions to Ask Your Frenectomy Provider

1. What education have you had specifically relating to oral tethers?

I’ve completed over 600 hours of advanced training in the last nine years. The procedure itself isn’t hard - any skilled provider can learn the release. What matters is everything else: diagnosis, timing, therapy, aftercare, and guiding families through the full journey. Your provider should be the quarterback, not just the surgeon.

2. What recent conferences or classes have you attended?

Medical knowledge evolves constantly. It’s not enough to learn something once - especially in a specialty that’s still developing. Continuing education matters.

3. Is it a posterior tongue tie?

Yes, if it's a tie, it has a posterior component. (And anterior ties are more visible, but they still have a posterior tie as well.) If your provider can’t explain normal tongue movement or how a tie impacts function, they don’t fully understand what they’re treating.

4. Do you check for buccal ties?

In my experience, releasing buccal ties in infants often has amazing results - you can literally see the baby’s face relax. But this isn’t commonly taught. Ask your provider if they assess them at all.

5/6. What is your protocol for pre- and post-frenectomy?

If the answer is “None,” that’s a red flag. Pre- and post-therapy are often essential to helping your baby heal well and re-learn how to feed or breathe properly. No aftercare = incomplete understanding of healing and function.

7. What do you recommend for pain management?

You should be able to talk about this openly with your provider and feel fully informed. If they can’t answer your questions or don’t bring it up, they’re doing you a disservice.

8. What additional resources and referrals do you offer?

A good provider should have trusted referrals for lactation support, bodywork, speech and feeding therapy, airway-aware ENTs, and more. You may not need all of them - but having access to a connected care team makes a huge difference.

9. What type of laser do you use?

Not all lasers are the same. Some “laser” frenectomies are done with diode tools that heat up and cut tissue like a hot scalpel - that’s not a true surgical laser. It may still be effective, but it’s not the same thing. Ask your provider to explain their tools clearly.

🌟 The Big Picture

Just because a provider can perform the procedure doesn’t mean they’re qualified to guide your family through the full process.

You're not paying for a tool — you're paying for expertise, support, and outcomes. You’d expect that from any other medical procedure — don’t let tongue ties be the exception.