"Complex" gave the episode a positive review, writing that it was overshadowed by "Leave It to Beaver", but that it was also a good episode by itself as well. "date rape mystery all comes to a head in the penultimate episode, which puts Veronica on the emotional rollercoaster until she gets to the uncomfortable truth." The magazine also praised the reappearances of guest stars: "what really makes the episode special is the way it trots out every supporting player and case-of-the-week guest star." "IGN" ranked the episode 4th on its list of the top ten "Veronica Mars" episodes, saying that "'A Trip to the Dentist'" is a heavy episode that expertly shows how different people remember the same situation. The fact that Veronica has to threaten people who were at the party into telling her the truth is frakking painful. It's made even more sad when you realize that the version she believed to be the truth actually wasn't."