< Treatment Timeline A maxillofacial osteotomy (the posh name for jaw surgery) is where the jaws are moved to a new position: where the top jaw sits in front of the bottom one. In the procedure, the upper gum is cut to give surgeons access to the jaw. The jaw is then broken with a controlled break. Before jaw surgery, a plastic wafer (a small holder that the teeth are fitted into in the new position) will be made so that the surgeons can use it to keep the jaws in the right p