A dismissal happens when the prosecutor decides to drop the charges against you. This will usually happen when the prosecutor does not think there is enough evidence against you to put on a strong case. An expungement is when you get any charges erased from your criminal record. This means that any employer or even police station would not be able to see that you were charged with anything when they search your name in their systems. Expungements are difficult to complete, but a criminal defense lawyer that has a lot of experience with expungements can definitely resolve it for you.