A MAN bled to death after a routine procedure to remove his tooth, an inquest heard.

Robert Braber, 59, of Lodge Lane, Prestwood, was discovered lying in a pool of his own blood on April 13, the Amersham Coroner's Court heard on Wednesday.

Examining consultant Dr David Bailey, of High Wycombe, said: "The post- mortem revealed Mr Braber had lost at least three litres of blood from his tooth socket following the removal of a wisdom tooth in the lower eight region of his mouth.

"That is around 75 per cent of an average person's circulating blood and it is very difficult to survive if you lose even half of the blood circulating in your body. Death was the inevitable outcome."

In the last four years of his life Mr Braber, a self- employed pensions adviser, had suffered from a disorder called multiple system atrophy which left him confined to a wheelchair and unable to work.

During a short stay at a respite care hospital in Nettlebed he developed tooth ache.

On April 12, Mr Braber's wife Jane took him to a dentist to have it removed.

She told the court in a statement that: "Although the cavity was still bleeding when he left the surgery he said that he was no longer in pain."

The wound continued to bleed throughout the evening and he went to bed at around 10.30pm.

Because of his wheelchair Mr Braber slept on his own downstairs next to the phone.

At around 9am on Tuesday Mrs Braber went into his room expecting to find him dressing for a medical appointment at 10.30 am.

But instead she found him lying on the bed facing her as if he had sat up and fallen down.

There was blood on the pillow and it had soaked through to the mattress.

Bucks Coroner Richard Hulett said it was an extremely "unusual" and "unfortunate" case.

He said: "We will never know whether he was aware of what was happening.

"All we know is that he died and bled to death overnight."

Verdict: accidental death.