Corlis,

I had 4 surgeries on my tongue, but never had a free flap. My tongue was very swollen after each surgery, but did eventually return to normal size.

I've had a few mouth guards made over the past few years, but none were that expensive. I paid around $300. If you have dental insurance, that may pay for part of the cost. Some of the mouth guards I had made were very rigid and more expensive, and another one was flexible, cheaper (around $100) and made in the dentist's office. I switched from a general dentist to a prosthodontist post RT - they specilize in oral devices.