Are splints just another way for dentists to perpetually profit over patients or can they be an effective, sustainable treatment?

I'm waiting for a consultation with my maxillofacial specialist. In the meanwhile, I was reading a blog written by a dentist. He was explaining that splints must be fine tuned and checked out by the dentist every week at first, every month, and then every 3 months - Forever. That caught me off guard. I do want relief from my TMD, but a frequent fixed pay doesn't seem right.