I just finished preparing a tooth !

[Brevicollis]

I just finished preparing one of my teeth ! 
I got this tooth almost two years ago in natural state without anything done on it, but now, just because I had time I did'nt know where to spend on, and I have holidays, I decided to prepare it. I tried to expose the bottom side just a bit, and wanted to completly expose the tip, but still have the whole thing attached to the matrix. I used this material right here :

 

a glass with a vinegar-water mixture to acid prep it a bit, some Q-tips to spread the acid and clean the tooth, a metal thing (if someone knows what the term for it is in english, please say it), and some super glue to stabilize it.

 

At first, I marked the area around the tooth I wanted to get rid of, then I carefully started scratching, until I reached the tooth. I repeated this procces until I reached the depth I liked the most. From then, I started to expose the tip till no matrix was below. Then, I really carefully scratched some of the matrix that covered the sides of the bottom side away, until it was only held by a thin support of matrix. I've done that so you could see the rounding of the tooth, and what some of the bottom side looks like. Spoiler : its a big wearing fascet, the animal used the tooth quite often over a long time.

 

Then, I used the acid water to smooth the newly prepared area, and to acid away those tool marks, and spreadet it with the Q-tips so it would reach the areas I wanted to acid prep. They were also great for collecting this slimy consistency rock-acid mixture, and cleaning the areas and also shape and smooth them out a bit. 
 

After that, I held the tooth under some flowing water, grabbed a Q-tip to dry it, but then disaster struck ! The tooth fell out of the matrix from just one touch with a Q-tip ! I was shocked, I forgot to stabilize it! So I carefully pressed it back in, cleaned the mess and the tooth up, and then carefully spread some super glue aroung the cracks and critical areas to stabilize them. I think I hid the marks and cracks that were left by the accident really well, theres no trace of them visible. Then I cleaned it one last time, it luckily was secure now, and then I was finished !
 

Before :

 

After :

 

 

I hope you like the end result as much as I like it !

And also, do you guys have any tipps for preparing fossils and also techniques and tools ? I bet some of you were shocked by the preparation procces and nearly fell unconcious reading it, but I have only about 5% experience with fossil preparing.

And those came from my first try preaparing a fossil, an ammonite I forgot in the acid bath... I think you can guess what it looked like after I took it out...

 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it, and please leave your opinions and advises in the replies !

 

Thanks !

 

 

[Bullsnake]

Very nice job!

By the way, the metal tool looks to be a dental pick. A very common an useful prep tool.