As a government dental assistant, your job is to provide dental services to state and federal employees. In this role, you help the primary dentist, help explain problems with teeth, and perform various clerical duties. Dental assistants often help take X-rays, sterilize tools, maintain equipment, perform infection control, and occasionally provide CPR during emergencies. Dental assistants are not the same as dental hygienists, who clean teeth, use dental tools to provide care, and otherwise have more direct interaction with patients. Government dental assistants may work directly for the government or for contractors who provide services to the government and its various agencies.