Using the salt water/baking soda mouth rinse does help. You can cut back the amount of salt of even eliminate it if you have to. Try your best to use the rinse with some salt as it helps with healing but dont put yourself in agony to do the rinse with salt. Do what you can tolerate.

Magic mouthwash will help to numb your mouth long enough to eat/drink etc... It comes in several different formulas. Mine was lidocaine, malox and benedryl to be gargled and spit out. Some formulas are ok to swallow but be very careful as it can numb your throat causing aspiration.

Hang in there, almost finished