So is it literally like brushing my own teeth? A tooth brush and some special toothpaste??? Do chew sticks really work for that?

Yes, like brushing yours or a childs teeth. I would use an enzymatic toothpaste over one without enzymes. Dental chews are not going to keep a dogs teeth clean despite their claims. Rmb's on the other hand will keep a dogs teeth clean if used often enough. So will a raw diet. There are other products that many people use like Proden PlaqueOff or Petzlife Oral Care spray or gel. I used to brush my dogs teeth daily. It got old fast. Started using Petzlife spray (peppermint) daily and it worked great but the dogs hated it. Then switched over to Proden PlaqueOff, a dried seaweed in powder form, mixed in their food daily and haven't looked back. My dogs' teeth look amazing and I never brush anymore. Super easy and no fussing.

I find a super easy way is to offer an antler or bone of some sort and get your dog on her side while chewing that antler or bone, and then the mouth is open already and you can then easily see the teeth and whatever area needs to be brushed.

The antler or bone is a great distraction that keeps the mouth open.