Analgesic procedure

A laser device for desensitizing target tissue in a client's mouth, said laser device comprising:

• a laser unit comprising at least one laser selected from a group of lasers consisting of an Er:YAG solid-state laser, an Er,Cr:YSGG solid-state laser, and a CO2 gas laser;
• a handpiece operatively connected to the laser unit including a fiber tip having a diameter in a size range of 500 μm to 800 μm from which light produced by the laser unit is emitted and a nozzle from which a spray comprising water and air is dispensed for cooling the target tissue in the client's mouth while light emitted by the fiber tip of the handpiece is directed toward the target tissue in the client's mouth;
• a flow control for varying a rate at which water is dispensed from the nozzle and a rate at which air is dispensed from the nozzle, the flow control being adjustable to dispense water from the nozzle up to a maximum water flow rate and to dispense air from the nozzle up to a maximum air flow rate and to a first water flow rate that is 1% of the maximum water flow rate and to a first air flow rate that is 1% of the maximum air flow rate;
• and
• a control unit configured to adjust the laser unit to have an average optical output power of 0.25 W and to operate in a free running pulsed mode providing 60 μm bursts at a frequency of at least 50 Hz and to defocus light directed toward the target tissue by one mm.

A laser device for use when ablating soft tissue in a client's mouth, said laser device comprising:

• a housing;
• a laser unit mounted in the housing, said laser unit being configured to produce light having a center wavelength in a wavelength range of 2750 nm to 11500 nm;
• a handpiece operative connected to the laser unit including a fiber tip having a diameter in a size range of 400 μm to 1200 μm through which light is transmitted and a nozzle from which a spray comprising water and air is dispensed to cool the soft tissue in the client's mouth while light emitted from the fiber tip of the handpiece is directed toward the soft tissue in the client's mouth;
• and
• a flow control for varying a rate at which the spray is dispensed from the nozzle, said flow control being adjustable to dispense water from the nozzle up to a maximum water flow rate and to dispense air from the nozzle up to a maximum air flow rate and being adjustable to dispense water from the nozzle at a water flow rate in a water flow rate range of 10% to 20% of the maximum water flow rate and to dispense air from the nozzle at an initial air flow rate of 20% of the maximum air flow rate;
• and
• a control unit operatively connected to the laser unit configured to adjust the laser unit to have an average optical output power in a power range of 1.75 W to 2.25 W and to operate in a free running pulsed mode providing 60 μm bursts at a frequency of at least 50 Hz.