Free Tool

Surgical Guide ROI Calculator
in-house vs. outsourcing.

Resin is the cheapest line on the invoice. The real cost of an in-house guide includes equipment amortization, software, your design time and the occasional failed print. Put in your own numbers — every field is editable — and see the honest comparison.

In-house design & printing
Outsourced (e.g. TrueLine)

No equipment, no software lease, no failed prints on your side — the design fee is the whole variable cost. If you print the delivered STL yourself, add your consumables to this side mentally (or keep it digital and let a lab print).

Your numbers
In-house · per guide
$—
Outsourced · per guide
$—
Monthly difference
$—
Hours reclaimed / month
—
design & post-processing time
In-house$—
Outsourced$—
How it's calculated: In-house per guide = consumables × (1 + failure rate) + design time × hourly rate × (1 + failure rate ÷ 2) + (equipment ÷ lifespan + software) ÷ monthly volume. Outsourced per guide = design fee + review time × hourly rate. Break-even solves for the monthly volume where the two are equal. All fields are editable — the defaults are typical mid-range figures, not vendor marketing.

Reading the result

Fixed costs (equipment amortization + software lease) are spread over your monthly volume — which is why in-house looks expensive at 3–5 guides per month and increasingly reasonable past the break-even point. The often-forgotten line is your time: an hour of design and post-processing per case, valued at chair rates, frequently exceeds every material cost combined. For the clinical side of this decision, see our evidence review of guided-surgery accuracy; to inspect delivered files, try the free STL viewer.

Below your break-even point?

Then outsourcing wins on math alone. Upload your CBCT — an oral & maxillofacial surgeon plans the case and you receive a print-ready STL within 48 hours. Tooth-supported guides $100, free pre-assessment first if you prefer.

Start a case
Surgeon-designed · Transparent pricing · 48h delivery