Matrix prep- Sharktooth Hill (First post)

[Vermonster]

Good morning. First post, from SoCal, recently have a son enrolled in U of Utah, so I am excited to visit places like the Green River formation and others to find some fossils, which are not too far from there.

 

Anyway, took my then 12 year old to Sharktooth hill a couple years ago.

Found lots of great teeth did the glue/water mix brushed on, all seem to be good.

But the one piece I'd like help with is a piece of matrix containing a tooth, and a vertebra.

 

The tooth isn't stuck in the vertebra, maybe laying against it, like to think the shark was feeding on a carcass and they fell to the floor together......lol. I already glued the tooth at the base, but wondering how to prep the rest.

 

It's mostly solid, just has a layer of very crumbly fine sediment that sluffs off. 

I'd like to mostly preserve it as is, except for possibly cleaning/exposing the vertebra a bit more.

 

Any advice? I'm a hobbyist, not a professional, so have limited tools.

Thanks in advance, love the site!