Oh yeah, that magic mouthwash is wonderful! It really eases the discomfort. I used it for about two months or so, and went through almost 2 liters of it. I don't have pain or rawness anymore.

The dental team at the cancer center also recommended that I purchase a waterpik, use a baking soda and water based rinse, and they actually gave me a baby toothbrush with an ultra soft and small head. I found the toothbrush quite useful to hit some of the areas that were harder to reach, and was absolutely shocked to discover how much gunk I rinse out with the waterpik. I still use this now, as I find it somewhat difficult and uncomfortable to floss my teeth. Even months after my surgery and radiation, I still use the baking soda rinse after meals whenever I can.

Eating a greater variety of foods and moving beyond a mostly liquid diet took quite a while but it eventually improved for me. Clarity of speech also improved with time. Personally I still have some trouble with certain words, or especially when I have to spell something out - my D's sound like G's, so I have to resort to the old radio code (you know - Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Whisky Tango Foxtrot, etc.) when people can't understand.