The Early Childhood Caries Collaborating Centers (EC4) researches ways to prevent early childhood tooth decay or caries in high risk populations ​through multiple, randomized prevention trials.

In September 2008, the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health supported the creation of the Early Childhood Caries Collaborative Centers (EC4) through a series of U54 grants.

Research centers based at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF), the University of Colorado at Denver, and Boston University focus on community-based interventions targeting early childhood caries (ECC) in diverse populations and settings:

• Center to Address Disparities in Oral Health, UCSF
• Center for Native Oral Health Research (CNOHR), University of Colorado at Denver
• Center for Research to Evaluate and Eliminate Dental Disparities (CREEDD), Boston University

A Data Coordinating Center (DCC) housed at UCSF also coordinates and supports the research projects of the three centers.