Introduction: Bruxism is a common clinical condition that can lead to tooth wear, damage to dental prosthetic restorations and pain in the temperomandibular joint and masticatory muscles. Bruxism splints are used to prevent the consequences of bruxism. These splints are manufactured by dental laboratories and later sold to dentists, which makes understanding their manufacturing costs essential. Purpose: The purpose of our work was to compare the production cost of bruxism splints according to the manufacturing technology used, namely the modern digital method of computer-controlled design and manufacturing, the method of deep drawing of thermoplastic films and the traditional method of pressing acrylic. The goal was to determine which method is more affordable, more effective and more suitable for long term labratory practice. Methods: In the theoretical part, we reviewed the professional literature on bruxism, types of splints, the materials from which they are made and the different types of costs incurred in companies. In the empirical part, we produced bruxism splints using each of the selected methods, recorded the time, material consumption and all direct and indirect costs, and based on this data, calculated the final production costs of each splint. Results: The results showed that the total cost was the lowest for the digital method (57,99 €), followed by method using thermoplastic foils (62,73 €) and highest of the acrylic compression method (288,09 €). The largest difference in costs was represented by labor costs, which were almost ten times higher for the acrylic splint compared to the digital method. An additional advantage of the digital method was also found in the possibility of rapid re-manufacturing of the splint in the event of fracture or loss. Discussion and conclusion: The results showed that the digital method is more cost-effective and efficient than other methods of manufacturing bruxism splints. The main differences stem from lower labor costs, material costs, as well as a reduced amount of waste. Digital technology enables a more precise final product and multifunctional use of equipment, which increases the economic justification of investing in modern equipment. Based on these findings, we conclude that digitalization represents a key direction in the development of dental prosthetics, as it enables cost optimization, greater competitiveness, and long-term sustainability of laboratory activities.
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