In this paper, we consider a dissipative-dispersive nonlinear equation appliable to many physical phenomena. Using the geometric singular perturbation method based on the theory of dynamical systems, we investigate the existence of its traveling wave solutions with the dissipative terms having sufficiently small coefficients. The results show that the traveling waves exist on a two-dimensional slow manifold in a three-dimensional system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Then, we use the Melnikov method to establish the existence of a homoclinic orbit in this manifold corresponding to a solitary wave solution of the equation. Furthermore, we present some numerical computations to show the approximations of such wave orbits.