So, under further investigation, the surgery will cost 1k. The original thought was that he had a bone infection on both sides of his jaw. From what it looked like on X-rays, that's what it was. But I decided to pay 200 dollars for exploratory surgery. I did this because I wanted to know I did everything to help him. They put him under and poke around in his mouth. Instead of bone infections on both sides, they found bone infections on the jaw bone and a different bone that is hard to pronounce.
The surgery price went down by almost 2k. They do need to remove a mass caused by the Periodontal Disease.
My thought process was: He was my first pet. His personality is great. The probability I will own another beardie is low. I want to do whatever I can to help him. I have a lot of things I can sell to get to 1k. Basketball hoop, drum set, and tons of different things I've outgrown over the years. My parents will not pay 1 penny. All my friends love him. They love feeding him, and he has became popular around my neighborhood because I have him out in the front. He chases vacuums, which is something special. I love him.
The vet who will do the surgery is the #1 Reptile vet in the US, and I use him for yearly checkups for my tortoises. I entirely trust him. So, with tears of joy in my eyes, I make this post. I'm going to keep him alive